“Japan, as one of ASEAN’s most active partners and a main proponent of AOIP, can become the main contributor in realising a concrete cooperation which directly benefits the people,” said Presiden Jokowi at the opening of 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit, Wednesday, 6 September 2023.
Jokowi said, currently ASEAN needs infrastructure investments with an annual cost of USD184 billion.
“ASEAN hopes Japan will continue to increase its contributions through ASEAN Infrastructure Fund and ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility to support connectivity dan green infrastructure,” Jokowi added.
“In terms of geography, Japan dan ASEAN are part of Asia. This is our home where we grow dan take shelter. Therefore, we have a big responsibility to keep our region peaceful, stable, dan prosperous,” stated by Jokowi.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the Indo-Pacific region has become a strong driver of the global economy. This is supported by rapid economic development in Indonesia and other countries in ASEAN.
PM Kishida assessed that the theme of Indonesia's chairmanship of ASEAN this year, namely "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth," was the right thing to choose amidst current regional and global conditions.
He also said he was proud of the many cooperative projects from Japan that would be introduced at the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF), which is part of the 43rd ASEAN Summit series.
Apart from physical infrastructure cooperation, Japan also encourages soft infrastructure cooperation through technical cooperation, and continues to provide technology and knowledge.
The second area is Digital Connectivity. Japan will cooperate with ASEAN countries in encouraging digitalization and strengthening regional connectivity by utilizing digital technology, as well as contributing to cyber security.
Third, maritime cooperation is an important element in strengthening connectivity between Japan and ASEAN countries connected by sea. Japan will assist ASEAN countries in increasing their maritime law enforcement capacity, through training programs and providing patrol boats to coast guard and maritime police agencies.
Human Connectivity and Knowledge
The fourth area is supply chain resilience. Facing the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's aggression against Ukraine, ensuring stable distribution of goods and food security is an important issue. Japan will contribute to the resilience of supply chains in the ASEAN region, and will build an economy that is able to face this crisis together.The fifth point is electrical connectivity. The ASEAN region is experiencing rapid economic development, and demand for electrical energy is also increasing. To ensure a stable supply of electrical energy, Japan will support increasing electrical connectivity through the preparation of master plans and training programs.
Lastly, human connectivity and knowledge. The foundation for the development of society is “people” and their “knowledge”. "We will foster human resources in ASEAN countries through personnel exchanges and training programs in various fields, as well as strengthening the network of people in Japan and ASEAN countries," said PM Kishida.
In these six fields, Japan will provide capacity building projects for 5,000 people over the next three years. PM Kishida said that by promoting technical cooperation with ASEAN countries and strengthening networks, Japan will grow with ASEAN.
"We hope to build a new future that can be co-created by Japan and ASEAN's social values," said PM Kishida.
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