JAKARTA, Jan 7 (Bernama) — Indonesia will help reinforce Asean’s central role in the evolving regional architecture for peace, stability, democracy and prosperity in the region, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported an Indonesia’s top diplomat as saying.
Indonesia will give priority to the process of Asean connectivity and integration, with the aim of building the Asean Community by 2015, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told a New Year press meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday, citing it as part of the country’s foreign policy this year.
He said that Indonesia’s foreign policy also looks towards Asean after 2015, with focus on consolidating the Asean community, increasing the grouping’s contributions to ensure peace and prosperity in the region, improving its global role along with building and implementing its sustainable development goals.
According to the minister, Indonesia will continue its foreign policy of independence and construction for peace, democracy, human rights and development in 2014.
He affirmed the importance of cooperation, saying that only collaboration can help resolve existing global challenges such as food and energy security, climate change, natural disasters, terrorism and trans-border crime as well as ensuring peace, security and development for each country, including Indonesia.
He emphasised the necessity to respect international law in resolving bilateral and multilateral disputes, adding that it is necessary to solve the disputes through dialogue and peaceful negotiations, avoiding the use of and threat of force.