Jokowi Prompts Mutual Regard in EU-ASEAN Partnerships

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo addresses the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Brussels on Dec. 14,2022 (Picture Courtesy of Presidential Press Bureau)

Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo told the recent European Union-ASEAN Summit that no one should dictate over others as the 2 trading blocs marked their 45 th year of partnership.

” Our partnership has borne fruits, but I need to state our collaboration is not all smooth-sailing. There are numerous differences that we must attend to,” Jokowi said before world leaders at the Brussels conference on Wednesday regional time.

” If we desire to construct a much better partnership, the collaboration needs to be based on equality.

According to Jokowi, Southeast Asia has stayed an economic powerhouse for lots of years.

” All projections show that Southeast Asia will continue to end up being a center of growth,” the Indonesian leader said while including that this would mean a partnership with ASEAN would pay to the EU.

Learn More:

• Indonesia, Sweden to Play Leading Role in Bloc-to-Bloc Clean Energy Partnership
• 2023 Chair Indonesia Wishes To Program ASEAN Matters

Jokowi also brought the top’s attention to the recent EU-ASEAN Organization Council Survey on European services’ perception of the Southeast Asian region. About 63 percent of the respondents see ASEAN as a region with the very best financial opportunity over the next five years and 69 percent expect the ASEAN markets to become more important in regards to worldwide revenues over the next two years, according to the study.

” And 97 percent of the respondents would like to see the EU accelerate its free trade contract [FTA] settlements with ASEAN and its members,” Jokowi said.

” To grow and flourish together is the only choice. We should not just advance together, but we should advance similarly. Let us form a better future together.”

The government reported that the EU is ASEAN’s 3rd largest trading partner after China and the US with bilateral trade reaching $2689 billion last year.

Indonesia will assume the ASEAN chairmanship in2023