Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi revealed that the 42nd ASEAN Summit in May 2023 will ratify several agreements. One of them is the development of the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
"In the High-Level Task Force on Economic Integration meeting, ASEAN countries agreed to develop an electric vehicle ecosystem in ASEAN, which will be ratified at the 42nd Summit next May," Retno said during a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday, 5 April 2023.
Indonesia has a number of priorities in carrying out its role as Chair of ASEAN 2023. There are three pillars in the overarching theme of Indonesia's chairmanship of "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth." These three are ASEAN Matters, Epicentrum of Growth, and the implementation of ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific/AOIP.
In the Epicentrum of Growth pillar, according to Retno, Indonesia is attempting to increase energy security in supporting the transition from fossil energy to clean and renewable energy by building regional ecosystems for electric vehicles, among other things.
Retno Marsudi emphasized on this occasion that the government will also include numerous Myanmar stakeholders in its attempts to address the conflict in that nation
According to Retno, stakeholder involvement is crucial for encouraging the creation of an inclusive national dialogue.
Retno stated, "This engagement with various stakeholders is conducted in accordance with the mandate of the Five Point Consensus." Retno did not, however, go into specifics about the parties she met. She simply stated that Indonesia continued to stress the need to put an end to acts of violence and power abuse during discussions with stakeholders in Myanmar.
Retno stated that, for the first time, Indonesia as ASEAN Chair had also met with a number of special envoys, including special envoys from the UN Secretary-General as well as special envoys from Myanmar and other countries. This is done to promote coordination and synergy while bolstering the centrality of ASEAN.
"It appears from our meetings with all the special envoys that support for Indonesia's chairmanship, ASEAN centrality, and the Five Point Consensus is extremely strong," she said.
Indonesia has also facilitated communication with various parties in Myanmar, allowing the ASEAN Coordination Center for Humanitarian Aid on Disaster Management (AHA Center) to distribute humanitarian aid to those in need, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. "With this Indonesian facilitation, the AHA Center was able to conduct talks with multiple parties that were before impossible. So, there is development regarding the access granted to the AHA Center," explained Retno. Humanitarian needs in Myanmar are increasing amid operational restrictions for humanitarian organizations.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over a third of the population, or 17,6 million people, require humanitarian aid in 2023. In addition, the agency reports that in the first two months of 2023, more than 154,000 people in Myanmar were forcibly displaced and living in uncertain conditions in camps and unofficial locations such as forests.