Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized the importance of ASEAN not becoming a proxy for any power during the retreat session of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday.
"Once ASEAN becomes a proxy, it will be difficult for ASEAN to play a central role and remain an 'anchor' for the realization of peace and stability in the region," she said, according to a written statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As part of efforts to maintain ASEAN centrality, Indonesia is ensuring that the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) remains mainstreamed, both in ASEAN activities and with dialogue partners.
Marsudi also proposed an Indonesian initiative to help ASEAN prepare and agree on the AOIP Declaration as the main reference for regional architecture, as stated in the Concord IV document.
As a follow-up to last year's ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF), this year, the 2nd AIPF Meeting will be held on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane in October.
Indonesia is hoping that the AIPF can be held under Malaysia's chairmanship next year. Other than the issue of ASEAN centrality, the foreign ministers' retreat also discussed the South China Sea issue.
"One wrong step in the South China Sea will turn a small fire into terrible firestorm," Marsudi said, highlighting the escalation in the region that is increasingly becoming real and worrying.
She again emphasized the importance of completing the code of conduct (CoC), which is still being negotiated by ASEAN and China.
"Managing security issues in the region depends on us. Now is the right time to take commitments into real action, including through the completion of the Practical Guidelines to Accelerate CoC, which we agreed to last year," she stressed.
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Meanwhile, regarding the Palestinian issue, Indonesia urged ASEAN to unite in calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine and the immediate implementation of a permanent ceasefire.
As an organization that is rules-based and whose member countries are committed to respecting international law, it is important for ASEAN to voice the importance of respecting international law consistently, without exception, including in Palestine.
"ASEAN must continue to push for the implementation of Resolution 2735. It is also important for ASEAN to support the legal fatwa (advisory opinion) from the International Court of Justice," Marsudi said.