VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi welcomed the signing of accession to the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (TAC) by Serbia, Panama and Kuwait.

"Today ASEAN welcomes Serbia, Panama and Kuwait as the 52nd, 53rd and 54th countries, respectively, to sign the TAC," she said during the TAC signing ceremony at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Monday (4/9/2023).

Retno explained, over the years, the TAC has served as a collective norm and principle to form friendly relations, habits of dialogue, and peaceful coexistence in the region.

"In the midst of the current global dynamics characterized by competition and trust deficit, we must further strengthen the values of TAC to increase trust and confidence," she said.

She added that the increasing number of TAC signings showed greater positive enthusiasm. He said this modality should be utilized to further enhance stability in the region and beyond.

"The TAC should unite ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners to forge practical cooperation in addressing common challenges, ranging from climate change, food and energy security, to the proliferation of transnational organized crime," she said.

Retno also emphasized that the TAC must be a positive force for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region. "Only by fully implementing the values and principles of the TAC can we truly ensure that ASEAN matters and becomes a center of growth," she concluded.

The TAC was signed by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, Panamanian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Franco, and Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad al Sabah.

Previously, Saudi Arabia signed the TAC on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta in July 2023, bringing the total number of countries accessing the TAC to four this year.

All Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (P5) have signed the TAC, namely China (2003), Russia (2004), France (2007), the US (2009) and the UK (2012). Meanwhile, from the G20 members, only two countries have not yet accessed, namely Italy and Mexico. (VOI/Andy)