Indonesia Encourages ASEAN-EU Partnership Based on Equal Principles

Brussels, MINA – Commemorating the 45th anniversary of the partnership between ASEAN and the European Union (EU), Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo encouraged the partnership between the two parties to be based on the principle of equality.

“If we want to build a good partnership, then the partnership must be based on equality, there should be no coercion. There should no longer be parties who always dictate and think that my standard is better than yours,” said President Jokowi while delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the 45th Anniversary of the ASEAN-EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday.

As Chair of ASEAN 2023, President Jokowi is one of six leaders who were asked to convey their views at the opening ceremony.

President Jokowi added, for decades, Southeast Asia has been an economic powerhouse and will remain a center of growth.

“Thus, the partnership with ASEAN will certainly be profitable,” he said.

According to the President, in September 2022, the ASEAN-EU Business Council will issue survey results on business perceptions in ASEAN and 63 percent of respondents see ASEAN as the region with the best economic opportunities.

“69 percent of respondents expect the ASEAN market to become more important than the aspect of global income in the next 2 years and 97 percent of respondents hope there will be an acceleration of ASEAN-EU FTA negotiations and its members,” the President explained.

For this reason, President Jokowi encourages partnerships that are equal and mutually beneficial.

“From the pandemic and the multidimensional crisis that we are currently facing, we have learned an important lesson that growing and prospering together is the only option. We must not only move forward together, but also must move forward equally,” he concluded. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)