VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the ASEAN-South Korea collaboration could contribute to efforts to tackle the pandemic and to recover the economy in the region.

This was conveyed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) during a speech at the 21st ASEAN-South Korea Summit via a videoconference on Thursday.

"At the end of last year, in Busan, I expressed optimism for the ASEAN-South Korea partnership. Amid this pandemic situation, I remain optimistic. Optimistic that the ASEAN-South Korea strategic partnership can contribute to efforts to fight the pandemic and to recover the economy in the region," President Jokowi said at the Bogor State Palace, West Java, Thursday.

According to the President, this optimism must be realized in two ways, namely collaboration between ASEAN and South Korea in regional recovery and strengthening cooperation in terms of health security.

Collaboration for regional economic recovery is needed to raise new hopes for the community and the business world which can later help leverage the regional economy.

"One of the efforts to raise new hopes for the community is economic integration in the region, including through the ASEAN-South Korea RCEP and FTA. I appreciate South Korea's commitment to regional economic integration and the signing of the RCEP this year," President Jokowi said.

In addition, President Jokowi said ASEAN and South Korea must work hard to ensure global supply chains, including through expanding South Korean investment in Southeast Asia and strengthening ASEAN as Korea's production base.

According to him, digital and technological transformation in MSMEs and strengthening creative economic cooperation can also encourage economic movement in the region.

As for strengthening cooperation in terms of health security, President Jokowi said that economic recovery can only run well if there is health insurance.

"During this pandemic, health management due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery must go hand in hand," he said.

The Head of State said that in the short term, the partnership between ASEAN and South Korea must ensure the availability of medicines and vaccines for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in the long term, the partnership between ASEAN and South Korea can be directed towards building health resilience mechanisms in the region, particularly health infrastructure at the national level, strong health industry in the region, and a regional health resilience framework including early warning systems and SoP during a pandemic.

"South Korea's superiority in the health service digitization system can be used as one of the new areas of ASEAN-South Korea cooperation," he said.

In addition, President Jokowi is of the view that war against the pandemic and economic recovery can only be carried out if the region is in a peaceful and safe condition.

For this reason, at the age of 10 of the ASEAN-South Korea strategic partnership, President Jokowi invited both parties to become the guardians of peace, security, and regional stability.

"The war against the pandemic and economic recovery can only be carried out if our region is peaceful and safe. At the age of 10 of the ASEAN-South Korea partnership, I would like to again invite ASEAN-South Korea to be the guardians of a peaceful, safe, and stable region for prosperity. our common people and the world," he said. (Antaranews)