30th Ministerial Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) – Pakistan Shares East Asia Vision – F.S holds Meetings with President Widodo & other Officials

JAKARTA : Editor’s Desk – Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan led the Pakistan delegation at the 30th Ministerial Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF),  held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 12-14 July 2023. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers and Representatives of the 27 ARF member countries and the Secretary-General of ASEAN. Foreign Secretary paid a courtesy call on the Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He conveyed good wishes of the Pakistani leadership to the President.

At the ARF Ministerial meeting, the Foreign Secretary l participated in deliberations on political and security issues of concern to Asia-Pacific aimed at promoting common solutions through dialogue and cooperation. In Jakarta, the Foreign Secretary will held meetings with Indonesian officials and with counterparts and visiting Ministers of ARF Member States. He  also had engagements with think tanks, business leaders and media on the margins of the ARF.

Established in 1994, the ARF is an important platform for consultations among countries of the Asia Pacific on issues related to regional peace and security. Since joining the ARF in 2004, Pakistan has been an active member of the Forum and regularly participates in its activities.

Pakistan-Indonesia Business Council was established on Friday at a ceremony held here at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KADIN) in Jakarta.Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan witnessed the signing ceremony for the establishment of the the business council.The Foreign Secretary termed the establishment of Pakistan-Indonesian Business Council as an important step towards deepening of economic engagement and unlocking the vast potential within Pakistan-Indonesia partnership.

He expressed hope that the Council will serve as a catalyst for further economic cooperation by improving business-to-business interaction, promoting joint ventures, generating employment opportunities, and reducing poverty to build prosperous and resilient societies.

In his keynote address, Chairman KADIN Arsjad Rasjid  noted that Pakistan was an important non-traditional trading partner of Indonesia.He emphasized the immense potential for mutually beneficial economic ties between Pakistan and Indonesia and underscored the importance of long-term collaboration to unlock the untapped potential in both markets.He expressed KADIN’s readiness to host interactive sessions and networking opportunities and to explore potential collaboration and forming lasting partnerships.

Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad M. Khan met with H.E Ms. Merutay Vidada Hafid, MP, Chairperson of Commission 1 of Indonesian Parliament. Strengthening of Bilateral cooperation in various fields including political, economic,education and tourism as well as cooperation between the parliament’s of the two countries were discussed.

Foreign Secretary  met with Mr. Abdul Kadir Jailani, DG for Asia, Pacific, & Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia.Discussed entire gamut of bilateral relations. Expressed resolve to further expand and deepen cooperation in all areas.

Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan held an exclusive talk on ‘Foreign Policy of Pakistan’ at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), a prestigious think tank based in Jakarta, on 13 July 2023.

In his address, the Foreign Secretary outlined Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities that include economic stability and growth, peaceful relations with neighbouring countries, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, developments in Afghanistan, engagement with East Asia especially ASEAN and relations with big powers including China and the United States.

The Foreign Secretary spoke at length about the multidimensional cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia especially in political, economic, security, defence, tourism and cultural domains. The two countries also engage closely in the framework of multilateral forums including the UN and the OIC.

The Foreign Secretary underlined the great potential of strategic cooperation and understanding between Pakistan and Indonesia as the two largest Islamic countries. He underscored the need to further explore new avenues of cooperation in the maritime domain, technology, digitisation, innovative economy and intellectual exchanges between the academia and think tanks of Pakistan and Indonesia.

Dr. Asad Majeed Khan also outlined Pakistan’s ‘Vision East Asia’ and the high importance Pakistan accords to its relations with ASEAN. He described Pakistan’s extensive cooperation with ASEAN as the oldest Sectoral Dialogue Partner and its readiness to become a Full Dialogue Partner for mutually beneficial cooperation.