Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on Friday (September 22, 2023) invited Costa Rica to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Minister Marsudi extended the invite to Costa Rican FM Arnoldo Andre Tinoco during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States.
According to a written statement received from the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry here on Saturday, she delivered the invitation in response to the Central American country’s strong interest in enhancing engagement with ASEAN.
The minister said she believes that Costa Rica’s accession to TAC would pave the way for close relations between the country and the bloc, which is currently chaired by Indonesia.
Established in 1976, the TAC is a pact that promotes the adoption of the principle of non-aggression by the member countries of ASEAN as well as partner countries of the Southeast Asian bloc.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) hosted by Indonesia in Jakarta on September 4, Serbia, Panama, and Kuwait became the 52nd, 53rd, and 54th countries to adopt the treaty.
Marsudi and Tinoco also discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation during their meeting.
Pertaining to bilateral cooperation, they highlighted possible measures for bolstering cooperation in the fields of creative economy, disaster management, and renewable energy.
They also pushed for the ratification of the framework cooperation agreement previously agreed upon by them.
Meanwhile, regarding multilateral cooperation, the two ministers talked about Indonesia’s proposal to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Human Rights Council.
Minister Tinoco, on his part, extended the support of his country, which will co-host the OECD annual conference in 2025, for Indonesia’s OECD membership application.
Source : Antara News
