ASEAN Expected To Maintain Centrality

JAKARTA, March 29 (Antara) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to maintain internal and external centrality to uphold its credibility and unity among the member states in the face of emerging regional and global dynamics. "The centrality of the ASEAN encompasses efforts to build a vision and to be on the same page in understanding the various issues faced by the bloc," Sanga Panggabean, the Indonesian deputy permanent representative to the ASEAN, stated at the ASEAN Talks organized by the London School of Public Relations in Jakarta on Monday (Mar 27). ASEAN's centrality is a testament to the collection of ideas, teamwork, and commitment of the member states, he noted. The centrality of the association will offer the necessary momentum for regional cooperation and community development, while the ASEAN vision in 2025 is a key driver in evolving the regional architecture, according to the ASEAN Charter. Hence, the ASEAN should continue playing a central role and leading the regional architecture as its strategic position in the dynamic relationship with developed countries. It is expected that every ASEAN meeting or forum can more effectively produce agreements or solutions to solve the problem together. "In addition, the centrality will help realize the ASEAN vision through the optimization of dialog with partners as well as cooperation on funding," Panggabean pointed out, adding that the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 is also fully supported by India as one of the dialog partners, as dialog and cooperation will narrow the economic gap among the ASEAN member countries. Meanwhile, Indian Mission Ambassador to ASEAN Suresh K. Reddy stated that ASEAN's centrality and vision will drive peace in Asia, as both India and the ASEAN face common challenges in the form of imbalance of power in the region. "ASEAN's ability to unify different opinions is sometimes restricted by the conflict of interests among the member countries," Reddy emphasized. Hence, India fully supports the unity and centrality of the ASEAN, which is believed to bring greater impact to regional stability and enhance cooperation, he added. u.