The Indo-Pacific region had three-fifth of the world's population, and its gross domestic product amounted to US$52 trillion, Kalla stated while delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony of the High-Level Dialog on Indo-Pacific Cooperation (HLD-IPC), themed "Indo-Pacific Cooperation towards a Peaceful, Prosperous, and Inclusive Region" held here on Wednesday.
The dialog was aimed at enhancing cooperation and trust-building in the Indo-Pacific region, leading to mutually beneficial cooperation based on the principles of openness, inclusive transparency, and respect toward international laws .
The meeting was Indonesia's concrete contribution to strengthening the dialog mechanism within the framework of ASEAN for deeper and more inclusive cooperation in the bloc. HLD-IPC was an informal and closed-door meeting attended by high-level officials from 18 key countries in the Indo-Pacific region and applying a Davos-style in the interactive discussion.
Among the dialog's attendees were Australian Foreign Minister Gary Quinlan, Brunei Foreign Minister Erywan Pehin Yusof, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, as the host.
China, India, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam sent their vice foreign affairs ministers to the dialog.
The dialog was divided into two sessions of general debate and thematic debate. The general debate was chaired by Marsudi, with all delegation heads conveying the position of their respective countries.
The delegates participated in the thematic debate under three themes: sustainable development goals, maritime cooperation, and infrastructure and connectivity.
Translator: Fransiska N, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
