"This year's meetings are the first to be held face-to-face after being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Novie Riyanto said in a statement on Sunday.
The 54th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting and Associated Meetings (STOM) was held in Nusa Dua on October 15-16, 2022 and led by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Transportation Novie Riyanto.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi chaired the 28th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting and Associated Meetings (ATM) held in Nusa Dua on October,16-17, 2022.
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Riyanto explained that ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting and Associated Meetings (ATM) and ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting and Associated Meetings (STOM) were annual agendas to exchange experiences, discuss, propose initiatives for cooperation opportunities, and to agree on ratification of strengthening connectivity of land, sea, air and rail transportation inter-ASEAN and between ASEAN and the international community.
Apart from being attended by delegates from ASEAN member countries, there were also delegates from ASEAN dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union.
The 54th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting and Associated Meetings (STOM) issued a number of recommendations on ratification of several agreements, and on the completion of negotiations on the ASEAN-European Union Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE CATA).
This agreement, Riyanto said, would be the first inter-block agreement in the world in the air transportation sector, between ASEAN and the European Union.
"This agreement is expected to support the rebuilding of air connectivity between ASEAN and Europe which has been affected by the pandemic and to open new growth opportunities for the aviation industry in these two regions," Riyanto said.
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The recommendations also include ratification of another strategic agreement on the Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Cooperation, an agreement to develop and enhance cooperation in the field of maritime and air search and rescue between ASEAN member countries.
The recommendations also included agreements in the air transportation sector, namely the ASEAN Guidelines on Airport Environmental Management System (EMS) ; in the land transportation sector, notably the Guiding Principles for the Regulation of Application-based Mobility Services for Passenger Transport in ASEAN; and in sea transportation, which is the Implementation of Framework to Enhance Regional Container Circulation in order to support the recovery of logistics distribution affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Through the agreements, it is hoped that cooperative relations in the transportation sector with member countries and with ASEAN dialogue partner countries will be stronger, and can increase solidarity among ASEAN countries to help and to strengthen each other, in the midst of a global situation which is full of uncertainty," he said.
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Translator: Adimas R, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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