“The Foreign Affairs Ministry is currently deliberating the format (for the cooperation),” Moeldoko said on Tuesday during a visit to the media center set up for the 43rd Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Indonesia is hosting the ASEAN Summit from September 5–7, 2023, in Jakarta, as the chair of the regional bloc this year. This is the second regional summit that has been organized by Indonesia this year.
According to Moeldoko, the government is currently deliberating on whether the cooperation will take the form of partnerships covering both the upstream and downstream sectors or simply the upstream sector.
In the upstream sector, ASEAN countries can cooperate in setting up infrastructure for EV owners in the region where they can recharge vehicle batteries, he said.
Meanwhile, in the downstream sector, member countries could coordinate to ensure that their resources can support the development of the EV battery industry in Southeast Asia.
At the previous summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara Province, in May, the bloc’s leaders produced the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Developing the Regional Electric Vehicle Ecosystem.
The leaders made the declaration considering that ASEAN countries hold promising reserves of resources that are vital for developing an EV ecosystem in the region. A suitable ecosystem for EVs is expected to position ASEAN as a crucial player in the global EV supply chain.
Moreover, three ASEAN countries – Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand – are investing significant efforts to promote the growth of the eco-friendly vehicle industry.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially inaugurated the 43rd ASEAN Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center on Tuesday.
The summit is being held under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” reflecting Indonesia’s determination to retain ASEAN as a center of economic, political, and sociocultural growth.
As this year’s chair, Indonesia is also striving to achieve its vision of making Southeast Asia a reckoned institution in the global arena, which is capable of handling challenges, seizing opportunities, as well as promoting and preserving regional peace and stability.
ASEAN consists of 10 member states: Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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Translator: Indra A, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Sri Haryati
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