Vientiane, Laos (ANTARA) - Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Wednesday expressed ASEAN's appreciation to Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) for his significant efforts in promoting the relevance of the regional bloc during his decade-long presidency.
Siphandone extended his praise to Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, who led the delegation at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos.
During the Plenary Session of the 44th ASEAN Summit, Siphandone also commended President Jokowi for his success in positioning ASEAN as an epicenter of growth. This achievement stems from Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship last year, which carried the theme "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth."
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In his speech, Siphandone invited all participating ASEAN leaders to applaud Jokowi, acknowledging the Indonesian president's contributions to the Southeast Asian region. Meanwhile, VP Amin explained that President Jokowi could not attend the high-level meetings as he was addressing unfinished work ahead of the end of his presidential term on October 20.
"I would like to convey greetings from President Jokowi, who could not join us due to official matters that require his attention before his presidency ends on October 20," he said.
Amin emphasized that these summits would be the last attended by Jokowi's administration, as Indonesia will soon transition to a new administration later this month.
Laotian PM praises President Jokowi's role in strengthening ASEAN
Delegasi berbincang sebelum pembukaan Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi (KTT) ke-44 dan ke-45 ASEAN 2024 di National Convention Center, Vientiane, Laos, Rabu (9/10/2024). KTT ASEAN 2024 akan berlangsung pada 8-11 Oktober 2024 dengan tema ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience. ANTARA FOTO/M Agung Rajasa/rwa.
