frankly, I am disappointedJakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed disappointment with the ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting that failed to yield any results on the South China Sea dispute.
"As one of the ASEAN leaders, frankly, I am disappointed," President Yudhoyono said in a press briefing at his office here on Monday.
The ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting was held on July 13 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but the ASEAN foreign ministers failed to reach a consensus on the South China Sea.
The ownership of South China Sea is disputed by China and some ASEAN countries, namely the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam.
Each of these countries claims its sovereignty over the sea.
President Yudhoyono noted that the failure to reach an agreement was a first in the history of ASEAN, pointing out that such an outcome might negatively affect the image of the organization and prompt the international community to consider that there was a rift in ASEAN.
"There is always a way out in a problem no matter how difficult it is," he said, adding that the issue of South China Sea would resurface when the leaders of ASEAN and its partner countries met in Cambodia in November 2012.
After the press briefing, the President saw off the Indonesian contingent for the London Olympics 2012. Then, he left for Surakarta, Central Java, on a working visit until Tuesday.
According to information received from the Presidential Palace, President Yudhoyono and his entourage departed from Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 12.30 pm local time on Monday.
In Surakarta, the head of state will attend the 78th anniversary of Ansor Youth Movement at Manahan Stadium at 7.30 pm on Monday.
Besides, President Yudhoyono is also scheduled to open the first International Islamic Financial Inclusion Summit.
(O001)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
