Indonesia Calls For Stronger ASEAN Unity To Safeguard Regional Order

JAKARTA, July 10 (Bernama) --  Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono has called on ASEAN to enhance its unity and reaffirm its central role in safeguarding the regional order, amid rising geopolitical tensions and regional challenges.

“ASEAN must reaffirm its role as the anchor of the regional order. Unity and centrality cannot be compromised,” he said, as quoted in a statement from the ministry on Thursday.

Sugiono attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday where discussions focused on key regional challenges, including the Myanmar crisis, transnational crime, tensions in the South China Sea, and the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

During the retreat, ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Five-Point Consensus as a framework for addressing the prolonged crisis in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Sugiono called for an immediate end to violence and the swift delivery of humanitarian aid.

He also raised concerns over the rise in transnational crime, particularly online scams, which have fuelled  human trafficking and drug smuggling issues.

The meeting welcomed the progress on the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) and reaffirmed the commitment to speed up talks based on ASEAN’s agreed guidelines to reach a meaningful and effective outcome.

“ASEAN must uphold its commitment to concluding a substantive and effective COC, which is expected to help maintain maritime stability in the South China Sea,” Sugiono stated.

Amid global instability and growing conflicts, he stressed the need for ASEAN to be ready to protect its citizens in conflict areas, stressing the importance of using existing guidelines for providing emergency help through ASEAN missions in other countries.

The retreat concluded with a reaffirmation of ASEAN’s collective responsibility to keep the region resilient, cohesive, and proactive in shaping a peaceful and stable regional order, the statement stated.

-- BERNAMA