ASEAN : Important trade facilitation milestones achieved in the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting and ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on Feb. 3-4
This is the first significant event held in Indonesia during its 2023 chairmanship of ASEAN. Among the few highlights from the meeting was the discussion on ASEAN regional international trade. The ASEAN Coordinating Council gave the High-Level Task Force on Economic Integration approval to develop the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework in order to put the Declaration into practice. Moreover, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) was tasked to lead in taking concrete steps to realize the goals of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). The CPR will continue to discuss a roadmap to promote the AOIP in accordance with the ASEAN Leader’s Declaration on Mainstreaming Four Priority Areas of the AOIP.
As reflected in the sub-theme of Indonesia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN an Epicentrum of Growth, ASEAN is determined to be an engine for regional and global growth through inclusive digital economy integration and sustainable economic growth. The Ministers emphasized the effective implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as an important driver for regional economic recovery. Also, the ASEAN Green Deal was revived with its potential to make a gradual transition for the region toward a green and sustainable future.