ASEAN economy expands beyond global growth: Indonesian President

The ASEAN economy has proven to be resilient and continues to grow beyond global economic growth and other areas with a population of 680 million people, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said at the opening of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta on September 5.

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ASEAN is also a potential market with promising investment opportunities but it is not immune from various global and geopolitical challenges that sharpen, especially the potential for conflict in the Indo-Pacific, he said.

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Youtube screenshot via voi.id)

For this reason, the AIPF is here to change rivalry in Indo-Pacific to become useful collaboration and build a habit of cooperation that wins a formula without any feeling ostracized, he continued.

AIPF features the three main agendas of green infrastructure and flexible supply chain; sustainable, innovative financing; and technology transformation and creative economy.

ASEAN and its partners have allocated a total of 56 billion USD for 93 cooperation projects and 73 potential projects, which demonstrates their commitment to turning Indo-Pacific into a region of peace, stability, and prosperity, the leader said.

The AIPF was first organized to implement the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adopted in 2019, shifting the focus from security cooperation previously to specific economic cooperation.

Source: VNA