The president emphasized that ASEAN has always maintained solidarity amidst differences, adding differences of opinions helps promote democracy and shows that the bloc is a family in which members have equal status.

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Indonesia's President Joko Widodo delivers his speech during the opening ceremony of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, September 5. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

He highlighted that equality is essentially a "core value" that the association jointly respects and upholds within the framework of solidarity and cohesion to move the "great ship of ASEAN" forward.

In the context of increasing challenges and fierce rivalry between great powers, the leader affirmed the member states’ commitment against any attempt by the world’s superpowers to make them their proxy in the region, and that ASEAN is ready to cooperate for peace and prosperity.

Saying the world is like a wide ocean to navigate alone, the president called on "other ships" to join forces to make ASEAN a "playing field for cooperation," creating prosperity, stability and peace not only for the region but also for the whole world.

Source: VNA