Prabowo urges ASEAN to simplify APTERR mechanism and develop local food stocks

We have been warned by international organisations about the risk of an extremely severe El Niño looming ahead. In this regard, food security is becoming increasingly urgent.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto, during the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit, proposed simplifying the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) mechanism and invited member countries to utilise local food to build food reserves and strengthen regional food resilience.

In that highest ASEAN forum, President Prabowo emphasised that the threat of a food crisis caused by various factors, including extreme weather and global geopolitical dynamics, must be anticipated through international cooperation and collaboration.

“This is not a challenge that can be handled by one country alone. ASEAN must act together. This also requires simplification of the ASEAN Plus Three (for) Emergency Rice Reserve. We must advance food reserves based on our local reserves,” said President Prabowo during the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit at Mactan Expo, Cebu, Philippines, on Friday, as quoted from the official broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat confirmed in Jakarta on Friday afternoon.

President Prabowo then emphasised that food resilience needs to be a joint effort by ASEAN to face various global challenges. “We must remember that our region has strategic trade routes passing through our waters, and we must be careful not to have disruptions in our own region,” said President Prabowo.

The President also reminded of the threat of extreme weather due to the impact of El Niño, which has been warned by various international organisations. Therefore, Prabowo believes that strengthening ASEAN’s food resilience is increasingly urgent.

“We have been warned by international organisations about the risk of an extremely severe El Niño that is looming ahead. In this regard, food security is becoming increasingly urgent,” said Prabowo.

“For us, this is the primary responsibility of the government, and the Indonesian Government is determined to bear full responsibility and full sovereignty over this vital sector. Without food, essentially there is no society. Without food, there is no independence. Without food, there is no peace,” stated President Prabowo.

In the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit, President Prabowo was accompanied by several state officials sitting right behind the President. Those officials included Foreign Minister Sugiono, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.