Widodo, who joined the online summit from the Bogor Presidential Palace, also said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that will be signed on Sunday, November 15, 2020, will require serious commitment from both ASEAN and Australia.
"I believe that the RCEP will be a catalyst for economic recovery in the region, even at the global scale," he said at the summit, which was hosted by Vietnam.
The President also said the ASEAN and Australia need to strengthen their commitment to improve the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement.
Trade can be increased by improving the flow of goods, strengthening global supply chains by utilizing ASEAN as a competitive production base area, developing industrial cooperation 4.0 and the digital economy, and increasing interaction between ASEAN and Australian business actors, he advised.
Meanwhile, speaking of security stability in the region, the President emphasized that stability would be central to efforts towards reviving the regional economy after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
"Respect for international law, including the UNCLOS 1982 is the key. This message needs to be echoed in the world," he remarked.
In addition, the concrete implementation of the program within the framework of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific is crucial in order for it to have a real impact on the welfare of the people in the region, the President observed.
"In this difficult time, cooperation is the only path we have to take. I believe the partnership between ASEAN and Australia can be the main pillar of the paradigm of cooperation and collaboration for stability, peace, and prosperity in the region," he said. (INE)
Related news: Jokowi encourages bolstering ASEAN-New Zealand partnership in Pacific
Related news: ASEAN-India partnership can help tackle health challenges: Widodo
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi/Aria Cindy
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
