The main requirement for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to play a central role in the global arena is stable regional security, Governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) Andi Widjajanto has said.
“There are two important issues of regional stability, namely the problem of the political crisis in Myanmar and the South China Sea. On the one hand, this challenge shows homework, so a breakthrough must be sought, and Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN, has a central role,” he observed in a press release on “The Latest ASEAN in the Global Stage” discussion in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Widjajanto, as the leader of ASEAN, Indonesia could encourage the resolution of these two problems because there are many diplomatic channels in ASEAN that encourage cooperation rather than create conflict.
“The Myanmar issue, for example, will be based on five points of consensus, one of which is prioritizing inclusive dialogue with all parties to encourage a special envoy or special envoy,” he said.
According to director general for ASEAN cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, the Myanmar political crisis is indeed an important topic because it concerns regional stability and the development of the regional community.
“Indonesia has conveyed its plan and the ministers agreed on the plan that Indonesia will carry out in the Myanmar issue, while regarding the South China Sea, it is necessary to carry out intensive negotiations with China to achieve progress in terms of regional security,” he informed.
ASEAN has agreed to support Indonesia’s efforts in carrying out a consensus on ending violence, distributing aid, approaching all parties, and having dialogue in an inclusive political process.
Head of the Department of Economics of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Fajar Hirawan agreed that the stability of Southeast Asia is important for advancing the growth and prosperity of the region.
“In everywhere, economic stability will be influenced by politics and security. I think stability in the region should be maintained, in this case, (in) Myanmar. When talking about the problems of ASEAN member countries, it means that everything must be seen. ASEAN was indeed founded as a forum to invite all to grow together, but if there is one who has stability issues, it will be a challenge in itself,” he said.
There are a number of sensitive issues in the economic field, while food security can be achieved by increasing cooperation, Sidharto said.
In the event of a crisis, ASEAN members can help each other in greater numbers.
“Apart from that, there are other sensitive issues such as energy, health, and financial transitions, where we already have an agreement on the digital economy framework and electric cars,” said Sidharto.
Specifically for electric cars, because the market is regional, Indonesia is pushing for the creation of a regional ecosystem that has similar rules so that all manufacturers have a regional outlook.
“In this field, we have competitiveness as one of the engines of growth,” Sidharto said.
