As reported by the Secretariat of State, on the last day of the thirty seventh ASEAN Summit series, President Jokowi also participated in various conferences virtually from the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java.
Quoting from the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia on November 9, 2020, RCEP is a regional free trade agreement covering 15 countries. The aim of the agreement is to open market access, provide trade and investment facilities and promote regional economic integration.
As economic recovery efforts proceed amid the present Covid-19 pandemic, the signing of the RCEP Agreement is predicted to assist boost business confidence while maintaining regional and global industry and provide chain stability, and reveal regional support for an open, inclusive and on the principles of a multilateral trading system.
Moreover, in a speech delivered by Bandar Seri Begawan, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah said that despite the disruptions attributable to Covid-19, Vietnam has instructed ASEAN to create a coherent response to the pandemic.
He added that Brunei will proceed to pursue regional reconstruction and community development efforts.
“Even though ASEAN is a prosperous region with a growing economy and better connectivity, the region is struggling with financial crises, energy shortages, natural disasters and climate change,” he said.
“The enormous challenges they pose to global operations [the coronavirus] also showed us that ASEAN must continue to strengthen ASEAN solidarity and centrality to overcome it.”
The monarch expressed the Brunei 2021 leadership theme: “We care, we prepare, we thrive”reflecting the President’s three priority areas:
- Take care of individuals and one another’s well-being
- Prepare for the opportunities and challenges of the long run
- Prosper together as a united region
For information, the thirty seventh ASEAN Summit series began on Thursday, November 12, 2020, with Vietnam, which was elected because the ASEAN Chair this yr, serving because the host.
The series of summits discussed collective steps to stop the broader health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic within the region. The ASEAN Heads of State or Government also discussed economic development priorities within the region with partner countries to deal with the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.
Source: thescoop.co, inilah.com
