Author: Bayu Nisrina

JAKARTA, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Defence ministers and officials from the United States, China, Russia and Southeast Asia gathered in Indonesia on Thursday for a meeting where they are expected to discuss geopolitical crises in and outside the region. Defence ministers in Southeast Asia’s regional bloc ASEAN called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and a durable solution in Myanmar, as conflicts are deepening there. “Indonesia is of the view that the region’s multiple security issues, ranging from traditional and non-traditional threats, can only be solved by extensive open and inclusive global collaboration,” Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s defence minister said in an…

Jakarta. Indonesia on Tuesday defended ASEAN’s overdue statement on the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying that the 10-member group needed to find a middle ground that could serve as the bloc’s collective position. The conflict in Gaza escalated when the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The war immediately sparked many reactions worldwide. ASEAN foreign ministers, however, only came up with a joint statement on Oct. 20, almost two weeks since the conflict erupted. Although individual ASEAN members had already issued their respective national statements. “But among all the different national positions, we always have commonalities. We…

India is seizing strategic opportunities to emerge as a new global power but its influence in Southeast Asia is not keenly felt yet. India has been riding the crest of a global diplomatic wave in recent months, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi shifted gears from attending the BRICS summit in Johannesburg and the ASEAN-India summit in Jakarta to hosting the G20 summit in New Delhi. The problem, however, is that Southeast Asians remain sceptical of New Delhi’s approach to furthering its engagement with the region. India has steadily gained global prominence with its growing economy, demographic strength and strategic importance. Despite India’s reserved stance…

Singapore, a member of the regional bloc, was among the countries refusing to attend the event held by a working group co-chaired by the Russian and Myanmar regimes A military exercise commenced in Russia on Monday under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter Terrorism, co-chaired by the Russian and Myanmar junta defence ministries. Six countries were notably absent from the five-day event, which is being held at the Eastern Military District’s Sergeevsky training ground in Russia’s Primorsky Region. Singapore, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is among the countries that have…

The participation of all ASEAN members is significant, given that the Southeast Asia regional bloc is not a military alliance, says a Lowy Institute researcher. SYDNEY: The first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) joint military exercise, codenamed ASEAN Solidarity Exercise 2023, has just ended. Hosted by Indonesia from Sep 19 to Sep 23, it was the first ASEAN-wide military exercise not involving any external party. The exercise was non-combat in nature, involving sea and land-based activities with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and anti-piracy components. All 10 ASEAN members participated, with Brunei, Indonesia,…

Thailand Investors Roundtable at Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi Mr. Pattarat Hongtong, Ambassador of Thailand to India chaired the Thailand Investors Roundtable. Invest India had a dedicated session to showcase the growth and opportunities in India, and the future of Thai investors. Discussions included topics like taxation, incorporation, state assessment, policy highlights, and aftercare areas of collaboration between both countries. The roundtable was attended by Consul Generals from across India, and officials from the Thailand Board of Investment in Mumbai, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Thai private sectors.  Meeting with High Commissioner of Brunei, New Delhi Invest India and FICCI…

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed his deep condolences for the Moroccan people following a devastating 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Friday (September 8, 2023) evening local time. “I offer my deepest condolences to the Moroccan people following the tragic earthquake,” President Widodo posted on his official account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The post was accessed from on Saturday night, September 9, 2023. The thoughts and prayers of the Indonesian people are with the victims, victims’ families, and all parties affected by the earthquake, Widodo said. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook Morocco at 11:14 p.m. local time on Friday. The…

Jakarta (ANTARA) – ASEAN and Japan have emphasized the need for enhanced energy cooperation to achieve the target of net-zero emissions or the reduction of carbon emissions to zero in the region. ASEAN economic ministers met with a Japanese delegation during the 29th ASEAN Economic Ministers-Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan Consultation in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday. The consultation was co-chaired by Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, and Japanese State Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Nakatani Shinichi. The meeting highlighted the necessity of enhancing energy cooperation in pursuit of net-zero emissions or carbon neutrality.…

People’s Republic of China Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi led a China-ASEAN Media Salon at the Chinese Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta on Friday, Aug. 18. In a press briefing, Ambassador Hou discussed the progress of China-ASEAN cooperation in various fields, as well as expectations for the upcoming leaders’ meetings on East Asia Cooperation. She opened the meeting by expressing her support for Indonesia as the ASEAN chair this year and stated that she expects continuous cooperation and a deepened relationship between China and member countries, which she hopes will be further discussed at the summit planned for September. In…

The opening ceremony of ASEAN Sports Day 2023 was held on the beach in Kep this morning, in the presence of Bou Chum Serey, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, and Som Piseth, Governor of Kep Province, including the sports delegation and many stakeholders. On that occasion, Serey said that the ASEAN Sports Day 2023 is organised in accordance with the five-year plan of ASEAN member countries to support the “A person plays at least one sport for life” movement on 15km cycling, 5km running, and rhythmic exercise with about 1,294 participants in collaboration with…