Indonesia has great interest in 2nd US-Asean Summit

Antara News, Tuesday, September 21, 2010 17:10 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has great interest in the outcome of the second US-ASEAN summit scheduled for Friday in New York, a Foreign Ministry official said.

"The meeting is important for Indonesia which will chair ASEAN next year," Director General of ASEAN-Indonesia at the Foreign Ministry Djauhari Oratmangun said at the Vice Presidential Palace here on Tuesday.

He made the remarks after he, along with Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Gita Wirjawan met with Vice President Boediono.

Boediono will represent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the US-ASEAN summit. The vice president is slated to leave for the US on Wednesday.

Djauhari said among the substantial outcomes expected to be agreed upon at the meeting would be a joint communique between ASEAN and US leaders as well as terms of references for ASEAN-US eminent persons group.

The Indonesian interest reflected in the expected joint communique covered the economic sector, climate change, and continued high-level ASEAN-US dialogue in the context of the Indonesian chairmanship of ASEAN in 2011, he said.

"On the occasion, Indonesia will convey its views and stand on the issues of trade and investment as well as the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," he said.

The summit will among others review ASEAN-US cooperation, discuss prospects for the cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international issues.

Djauhari noted that there had been a shift in political and economic powers in Asia, including Southeast Asia and ASEAN was inseparable from the latest developments in the region.

The world had interest in and paid attention to the regional grouping`s participation in resolving international problems, he said.

"The US is most likely to raise the issue of Myanmar at the upcoming US-ASEAN summit and ASEAN has adopted its stand on the matter," he said.

The US-ASEAN summit will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday. The summit will be the second after last year`s in Singapore.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the summit was very important to strengthen cooperation between the two sides.