Indonesia has started its chairmanship of ASEAN this year when the structure of international relations is being transformed into that of “new cold war”, and there is a clearer trend towards multi-polarization.

Indonesia, a veteran state of NAM, hosted the 1 st Asia-Africa Conference (Bandung Conference) and the 1 st Games of New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) which were of a historic significance in the anti-colonialist struggle of the people in the newly-emerging nations last century. This has left indelible traces in the history of unity and cooperation between the newly independent countries in Asia and Africa.

Especially, Indonesia, as the founding and veteran state of the ASEAN, hosted the first ASEAN Summit in February 1976, in which the "Bali Concord" (the "Declaration of ASEAN Concord"), the "Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia" and the "Agreement for Establishment of ASEAN Secretary" came into existence. It also, as a powerful regional community, achieved a remarkable success in assisting ASEAN in its work to ensure peace and security in the region, and to promote cooperation between its member states and with other regions and countries in the complicated and intricate international situation.

In the present century, too, Indonesia is playing an important role of traction in enhancing the pivotal role and international prestige of ASEAN, i.e. initiation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in 2018.

Indonesia has successfully hosted G20 Summit last November in a situation where the interests of great powers are inextricably intertwined. The fair public opinion around the world has unanimously commented that it is attributable to the fact that Indonesia could have held the internationally recognized position which is universal and neutral, while maintaining its independent view and assertion.

Recently, the Indonesian President said in an interview with domestic press that ASEAN should not serve as a proxy for anyone else and declared that he would prevent ASEAN from being monopolized by specific forces during Indonesia’s chairmanship this year. This, I think, is a manifestation of independent position which has been maintained by Indonesia for a long time.

Nowadays, contradiction and confrontation are getting ever more serious between the countries aspiring to independence, justice and progress and the forces pursuing high-handedness, arbitrariness and fragmentation, and “new cold war” is being accelerated. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to maintain independent position for existence and development of ASEAN, to say nothing of the countries in Southeast Asia.

Especially, Southeast Asia is adjacent to Northeast Asia, and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is inseparable from peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian region. Such being the situation, to ensure fairness and impartiality by ASEAN fully conforms with its fundamental interests and principles of confidence-building and non-interference in the internal affairs of others.

Our country joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2000 and acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in July 2008. Since July 2011, we have been accrediting an ambassador to ASEAN. We are developing relations with ASEAN and its member states starting from the underlying external ideas of our state - independence, friendship and peace.

We have always set a great store by the relations with ASEAN and its member states and are willing to expand and develop cooperation with ASEAN across several fields this year that marks the 15 th anniversary of our acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. We also have the willingness to work closely with Indonesia, the ASEAN chair state, to that end.

We expect in all our sincerity that Indonesia, as the veteran and chair state of ASEAN, will attain great successes this year in the work to enhance the prestige and pivotal role of ASEAN that already enjoys its rightful status in the international arena.

Pak Sang Gil

Vice-minister for Southeast Asia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs