The 43rd ASEAN Summit is slated for September 5-7. (Photo: VNA)The Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation at theIndonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sidharto Suryodipuro said that Indonesiaaims to lay the foundation for ASEAN cooperation to address current and futurechallenges.
To achieve that, it is a must to strengthen ASEANinstitution and mechanisms, he said at a virtual press briefing on August 12.
He informed that there are several aspects that needstrengthening, such as human resources in the ASEAN community, dialogues onhuman rights, as well as maritime cooperation among member countries.
Discussions on strengthening ASEAN institutions, whichstarted under Indonesia's Initiative, began in 2022 with the High-Level TaskForce's Recommendations on the Post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision (HLTF-ACV) onStrengthening ASEAN’s Capacity and Institutional Effectiveness.
ASEAN leaders have also discussed this issue with thehigh-level task force at the 42nd Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara(NTT), in May.
The leaders emphasised the need to strengthen thebloc's capacity and institutional effectiveness, including enabling ASEAN torespond to crises and emergency situations in a timely manner.
The 2023 ASEAN Summit in Jakarta will not only beattended by ASEAN leaders, but also external partners such as China, Japan, theRepublic of Korea, the US, Australia, and India.
Suryodipuro said that Indonesia is expecting 27 worldleaders and international bodies, including 18 leaders of countriesparticipating in the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Canadian Prime Minister, andexecutive directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank tojoin the meeting./.
VNA
