Jakarta (ANTARA) - The 44th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly will unite parliaments in Southeast Asia and help realize the goal of a strong ASEAN at the regional and global levels.

Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Puan Maharani, conveyed the remarks at a press conference after the opening ceremony of the 44th AIPA General Assembly at Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on Monday.

According to Maharani, AIPA needs to encourage the resolution of problems that have become priority issues amid the currently developing global dynamics.

"We have agreed with all ASEAN member countries that as a family, as brothers, we will work as a team to encourage, strengthen, and make ASEAN stronger in the future," she said.

With Indonesia hosting the 2023 AIPA, she expressed the hope that the 44th AIPA General Assembly, during which several issues are slated to be discussed, would run safely and smoothly.

According to her, the discussions at the 44th AIPA General Assembly are expected to produce a mutual agreement.

"The themes or matters that become an agreement can be obtained from the results of the 44th AIPA General Assembly," she said.

Maharani added that AIPA will also encourage Myanmar to implement ASEAN's Five-point Consensus to end the conflict in the country and create peace.

Apart from Myanmar, several other strategic issues will be discussed at the General Assembly, including the reduction of geopolitical tensions due to big-power rivalry in Southeast Asia and the greater involvement of youth in politics, including the parliament.

AIPA's 44th General Assembly is being held in Jakarta from August 7–9, 2023, with parliamentary chairpersons of 9 ASEAN countries — Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — in attendance.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) officially opened the 44th AIPA General Assembly in Jakarta on Monday.

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Translator: Melalusa Susthira, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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