With the power, I believe that there will be no regional peace and stability without ASEAN.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia to continue building trust in order to contribute to regional stability and peace.

ASEAN has confidence in the power of cooperation and dialogue in resolving differences so that it can exist for more than 50 years and contribute to stability, peace, and prosperity in the region, he said.

"With the power, I believe that there will be no regional peace and stability without ASEAN," he said while addressing the first ASEAN-Australia Summit virtually from the Bogor Presidential Palace on Wednesday, according to a press statement received the same day.

The President said he realized that high dynamics can threaten regional stability.

However, Indonesia does not want this region to become an arena for arms race and power projection, which can threaten stability, he remarked.

Indonesia wants all parties to keep respecting the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, international law, and regional values, he said.

"We must be able to turn a culture of conflict into a culture of peace, and trust deficit into strategic trust,” Jokowi added.

The head of state said Indonesia is worried about AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the planned development of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines under the pact, which may heighten rivalry in the region.

Therefore, Indonesia expects Australia to continue its openness to ASEAN and become one of ASEAN’s partners in creating stability, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, he said.

“In conclusion, Indonesia fully supports the status of the ASEAN-Australia relationship into a comprehensive strategic partnership,” he remarked.

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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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