He also stated that Indonesia, as a maritime nation, would continue to be at the forefront of supporting the AIS Forum as an inclusive cooperation of archipelagic and island countries.
He reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to providing grants to address climate change, develop innovations, and promote sustainable ocean governance.
“For Indonesia, the sea is not a divider, but instead, the sea is a uniter,” Jokowi remarked.
The president outlined that cooperation of AIS has presented concrete benefits to the community, including the coastal community, through the provision of scholarships, joint research funding, AIS Blue Startup development, digitalization training for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and development of innovative funding.
He stated that archipelagic and island states are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. He affirmed that in order to tackle climate change, AIS participating countries need to find solutions that are based on innovation and technology.
At the 1st High-Level Meeting of the AIS Forum, which resulted in the Leaders' Declaration on the Solidarity of the Archipelagic and Island States Forum, the leaders agreed to make the cooperation forum an international organization.
"The leaders agreed to increase cooperation in the context of AIS Forum to become more charter-based towards the formation of an international organization," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated at a press conference after the AIS Forum high-level meeting.
In this case, AIS country leaders tasked their ministers and high-ranking officials to start discussing the road map and the conditions needed.
Editor: Anton Santoso
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