Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi raised the concept of an Indo-Pacific Indonesia at the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers` Meeting and other related meetings held in Singapore from August 1 to 4, according to the Foreign Ministry.

At the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers` Meeting, Marsudi stressed the Indonesian interests in strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, the ministry said in a press statement released on Thursday.

The Indo-Pacific issue is a strategic matter for Indonesia and other ASEAN member states located at the center or the axis between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, she said.

The Indonesian government spoke about the way to look at the Indo-Pacific region as a means to enhance cooperation in the maritime field, connectivity and agenda of sustainable development, she said.

The Indo-Pacific concept is designed to give added value to the existing mechanism of ASEAN cooperation, particularly to strengthen EAS, she said.

In addition, the Indonesian government will also benefit from the meeting between ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners to confirm and promote national interests over various priority issues, she said.

While in Singapore, Marsudi held a series of meetings, starting from a meeting with her ASEAN counterparts, representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, representatives of the Commission of Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, the plenary session and retreat of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers` Meeting, the meeting between ASEAN member states and 10 dialogue partners, and the meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers Plus Three.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting, she also held bilateral talks with foreign ministers of friendly countries including Canada, Turkey, Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor Leste, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, China, Iran, European Union and North Korea.

Reporting by Yuni Arisandy
Editing by Suharto, Bustanuddin

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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