"We have plenty of discussions about this. Now, we need to move beyond plans into actions. Both ASEAN and Japan would benefit from this collaboration," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi remarked as cited from the statement transcript of the meeting.
During the meeting attended by Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Marsudi noted that the ASEAN viewed Japan as a promising partner in developing a suitable ecosystem for EVs while drawing attention to the country's efforts in transitioning to 100-percent EV sales by 2025.
This year, Indonesia holds the chairmanship of ASEAN, and it has adopted the theme of "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth" to reflect its goal of making ASEAN important and relevant as the world's growth center.
At the 42nd ASEAN Summit held on May 9-11 in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, the bloc's leaders produced several important documents, including the Declaration on Developing a Regional Electric Vehicle System.
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The minister elaborated that the ASEAN is well-positioned to partner with Japan in developing the ecosystem for EV batteries, while Japan has the capacity to support this goal through the Green Innovation Fund.
"EVs ecosystem would not only bring prosperity to the region but also take us one step closer to a carbon-free society," she remarked.
With that in mind, the minister invited Japan to partake in the collective efforts to preserve regional peace and stability.
"I believe Japan shares ASEAN’s wish to see a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the minister stated.
"We want our regional architecture to be inclusive, where all countries can feel safe and secure. Only then, we can focus on turning the region into the epicentrum of growth, she affirmed.
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Translator: Yashinta Difa, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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