Jakarta, Indonesia – On August 8, the 58th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono emphasized Indonesia’s commitment to fostering a peaceful, robust, innovative, and people-centric ASEAN. This commitment was underscored by Minister Sugiono, who represented President Prabowo Subianto at the ASEAN Day celebrations at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta.
The event marked more than just a ceremonial occasion, but a momentum for solidifying Indonesia’s vision for ASEAN 2045. “Our people demand tangible impact, not just lofty plans,” Minister Sugiono stressed. “We need concrete results, not just declarations. The ASEAN Vision 2045 must be fully implemented with strong commitment and political backing.”
To ensure the continued relevance of ASEAN, Minister Sugiono highlighted three key areas: enhancing institutional capacity to respond to crises, strengthening economic integration and digital transformation, and bolstering collective capabilities to address transnational threats such as human trafficking and climate change.
However, Minister Sugiono also emphasized that unity is crucial to ASEAN’s strength in the face of current geopolitical rivalries. “Differences must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.
Minister Sugiono stressed the importance of maintaining ASEAN’s centrality as a fundamental principle, strengthening its role as a bridge and forum for dialogue, and relying on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) guide.
In the context of geopolitics, Minister Sugiono drew attention to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, noting that ASEAN cannot remain silent. “We must speak with the voice of moral conscience: stop violence, open access to humanity, and strive for peaceful solutions based on a two-state solution,” he concluded.
As part of the 58th ASEAN Day celebrations, Minister Sugiono reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to supporting the strengthening of ASEAN infrastructure, including the revitalization of the ASEAN Heritage Building, the establishment of an ASEAN Museum and Library, and the development of the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters as a center for diplomacy, culture, and ideas.
In closing, Minister Sugiono invited all member states to uphold ASEAN’s core values: choosing dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over competition, and unity over division. “If not us, who else? If not now, when?” he asked. Indonesia will continue to walk alongside ASEAN, with faith, goals, and resolve.
ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok by the five founding members, including Indonesia, through the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
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