Indonesia Urges Japan and ASEAN to Bolster Support for Palestine
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono has invited Japan and fellow ASEAN member states to optimise the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) forum in strengthening support for Palestine.
He said the cooperation forum must be able to facilitate the solidarity of its member states in concretely supporting Palestine’s long-term recovery and development.
“For Indonesia, Palestine is not merely a humanitarian issue. This is a matter of justice, dignity, and the right of the Palestinian people to rebuild their future,” said Sugiono, quoted from an official statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
CEAPAD was established at Japan’s initiative in 2013 as a forum to discuss support for Palestine.
Its members include Japan, Palestine, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, the World Bank, and the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Beyond support for Palestine, the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday (22 July) also highlighted the importance of safe and open shipping lanes for the smooth flow of energy, food, trade, and supply chains in the region.
Sugiono said Indonesia welcomes the alignment of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) with the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy initiated by Japan.
“Maritime cooperation must remain a key pillar of the ASEAN-Japan partnership, through capacity building, connectivity, and maritime domain awareness,” he said.
In addition, Indonesia is encouraging the optimisation of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia to support the energy transition while strengthening the region’s energy resilience.
The AJCEP, RCEP, and ASEAN Plus Three frameworks should also continue to be utilised to maintain trade and investment flows and open up new opportunities for industry.
“ASEAN and Japan each have their own advantages and strengths. When united by a common purpose, this partnership will become even more resilient in safeguarding peace and prosperity in the region,” Sugiono added.