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Reuter / Willy Kurniawan

Country Reports

ASEAN Matters

Indonesia's chairmanship as an opportunity for more European involvement in the region

Indonesia took over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the beginning of the year. With the unresolved conflict in Myanmar and Timor-Leste's accession process to ASEAN launched in 2022, the Indonesian chairmanship faces two major construction sites at once. But the elephant in the room is China's increasingly challenging role in the region. Germany and the EU also have a role to play here.

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Indonesia's foreign policy aspirations at the start of its ASEAN chairmanship in 2023 are high. Indonesia's successful G20 presidency last year gave the country enormous diplomatic tailwind and raised high expectations for this year's ASEAN chairmanship. With the motto "ASEAN Matters - Epicenter of Growth," the Indonesian government intends to continue the primarily economic policy agenda of its G20 presidency at the regional level - despite all the challenges in the region. But while no one seriously expected the Indonesian G20 presidency to play a leading role in resolving the Ukraine war, the civil war in the wake of the 2021 military coup in Myanmar is first and foremost a regional challenge in the resolution of which ASEAN plays a key role and Indonesia, as this year's chair and the largest country in the region, bears a special responsibility.

 

The full-length publication is only available in German.

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Contact

Dr. Denis Suarsana

Portrait Denis Suarsana

Head of the KAS office in Indonesia/Timor-Leste

denis.suarsana@kas.de +62 21 7590-9411 / -9414

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