VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, will attend the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney, Australia on March 18, ASEAN External Cooperation Director Benny Siahaan said in Jakarta, on Thursday ( 8 March )

"The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit that will be attended by Jokowi on March 18 is aimed at pushing for strategic cooperation between Australia and ASEAN," he stated.

He noted that the meeting would be a special one as it would be the first between heads of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held outside ASEAN member countries.

He added that several programs to be held at the special summit include ASEAN-Australia business summit, disaster management, engagement, economic partnership, and counter-terrorism partnership meetings.

The main documents to be produced from the summit are Sydney Declaration and Counter-Terrorism memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Sydney declaration is a document that will be adopted by ASEAN and Australian heads of states and governments containing commitment to ASEAN and Australia action plan.

The counter-terrorism MoU will contain concrete cooperation steps between Australia and ASEAN in overcoming terrorism. It will be signed by the ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and witnessed by heads of states and governments of ASEAN and Australia. (antara)