INDONESIA PLEDGES CLOSE COOPERATION, SUPPORT FOR PHILIPPINES' ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP - SUGIONO

JAKARTA, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesia has reaffirmed its readiness to work closely with the Philippines, the 2026 ASEAN chair, to ensure continuity of the regional agenda and reinforce ASEAN centrality amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.

Its Foreign Minister Sugiono said close coordination was vital to preserving Southeast Asia as a zone of peace, free from power projection and oriented towards the welfare of its people.

“ASEAN was established to ensure that differences are managed through dialogue and cooperation, not through pressure or confrontation,” he said while delivering his annual statement on Wednesday.

Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin was among the ambassadors present at the ceremony.

Sugiono emphasised the growing importance of the 11-member bloc in safeguarding Southeast Asia’s stability amid global geopolitical uncertainty, saying ASEAN serves as the anchor of regional stability and the primary platform to ensure the region does not become an arena for power projection.

“Unity is key to preventing fragmentation, while centrality ensures that ASEAN continues to lead the regional architecture and is not drawn into great-power rivalry,” he said.

He also highlighted ASEAN’s dynamics over the past year, including crises among member states, underscoring that peace in the region should not be taken for granted.

Sugiono also urged the bloc to reaffirm the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as an inclusive framework for regional management, with ASEAN maintaining centrality and control over its strategic direction and governance.

He added that Indonesia stands ready to support the Philippines in completing the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

-- BERNAMA