TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is scheduled to leave for Brussels, Belgium, at 09:00 Jakarta time, Tuesday, December 13, 2022, to participate in the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit.

Presidential Secretariat Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media Bey Machmudin confirmed the state head's departure.

45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Two Blocs

During his visit, the President will be accompanied by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi. The state leaders’ detailed agenda for the event is not yet informed.

The meeting of EU-ASEAN leaders is the first to be held to mark 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two organizations. President of the European Council Charles Michel and ASEAN 2022 Chair Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will co-chair the meeting.

According to the European Union, this summit is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the two blocs.

“This (summit) will offer a political forum for the European Union and ASEAN in demonstrating their shared commitment to a regulation-based international order, respect for international law and the promotion of effective multilateralism," the EU said in a statement.

Agenda to Be Discussed

Country leaders in the two regions are projected to discuss past achievements and future plans in various areas of strategic partnership, including connectivity, energy transition, trade, and digital transition. The European Union and ASEAN are known to have become strategic partners in 2020.

Discussions at the summit will cover cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting common principles and synergies between the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific. It is also believed that the two blocs must convey their commitment to comply with international law based on the UN charter.

Indonesia took over the ASEAN Presidency from Cambodia about a month ago. President Jokowi will lead ASEAN in 2023. During the handover ceremony in Phnom Penh, he said ASEAN must become a stable, peaceful region and perform as the anchor of world stability.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH I DANIEL A. FAJRI

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