Minister Retno: 22 Countries, 9 Int'l Organizations to Attend ASEAN Summit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi reported on the preparations for the ASEAN Summit which is slated to be held in Jakarta on September 5–7, 2023. At least 22 countries and nine international organizations will be in attendance at this series of meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In a media briefing at Pelataran Hutan Kota, Jakarta, on Monday, August 28, Retno said that a number of ministerial-level meetings will take place starting Tuesday, August 29, before the main event.

These are the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) meeting on Tuesday, August 29; the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Meeting on Sunday, September 3; as well as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC), and ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) on Monday, September 4, 2023.

Retno, however, did not disclose agendas to be discussed at these meetings. She stressed that diplomats are still negotiating to finalize the documents that would become the outcomes of the 43rd Summit.

According to Retno, the participation of 22 countries and 9 international organizations would be nearly the same as during the G20. In addition to ASEAN member countries including Timor Leste, 9 dialogue partners and East Asia Summit member countries will participate in the high-level conference, viz. South Korea, Japan, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, and the United States.

Two other invited countries, Bangladesh which is the current chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Cook Islands which is the current chair of the Pacific Island Forum, would attend the summit. World organizations such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would also send representatives.

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was scheduled to preside over 12 ASEAN Summit meetings. On the sidelines, state leaders will hold bilateral meetings with partner countries until September 8, 2023.

Minister Retno Marsudi also noted that 13 countries had proposed to have a meeting with Jokowi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. Yet she refused to reveal the list of attendees and absentees at the forthcoming summit.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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