Indonesia Demands Consistent Application of International Law at the East Asia Summit

 

Gambar

Lao PDR's capital, Vientiane "The Indo-Pacific area is currently dealing with a number of difficulties. At the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Saturday, July 27, in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi said, "Our journey ahead is fraught with turbulence and significant waves."


The Indo-Pacific area is a hub for global growth both today and in the future, stressed Minister Marsudi. Global conflicts, however, have made the situation worse and are impeding our ability to resolve these issues.

A worrying trend, according to Minister Marsudi, is "great powers dominating the smaller ones," which is indicative of a hegemonic inclination that ought to be relegated to the past. "We are witnessing rising rivalries, increasing distrust, and the potential for dangerous miscalculations," she said.

The EAS, one of the most important forums in the area, is anticipated to improve collaboration, mutual trust, and cooperation. She emphasised the need for a firm will to continuously respect international law. She said, "We have to live up to the talk."



In her repeated appeal for justice and humanity for Palestine, the foreign minister brought up the issue during their bilateral meeting. "This is not just about Palestine; it is about justice and humanity," she said .

She commended the numerous EAS members who have engaged with Israel and different Palestinian factions in an attempt to bring about a long-term calm in Gaza, enable humanitarian aid, and establish conditions that will support enduring peace in the Middle East.

Minister Marsudi further underlined how crucial it is that all nations openly embrace the two-state solution as the only workable option. "We must eradicate the notion of a 'one-state solution,'" she stated.



She listed the following essential actions to implement a two-state solution:



- A full UN Security Council membership for Palestine;



Acknowledging Palestine as a State.

 The foreign minister demanded a stop to any attempts to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation and encouraged nations to move quickly on these fronts. "Labelling UNRWA as a terrorist organisation is utterly unacceptable," she said.

Additionally, the Minister urged EAS member nations to band together and support:

- The Gaza War's end;

- The war in Ukraine must end;

- Encouraging the South China Sea to be stable and peaceful;

- Promoting harmony and stability in the Indo-Pacific area;

- Averting and resolving international disputes;

- Relentlessly promoting compassion and justice.

Minister Marsudi called on EAS nations to advance their collaboration going forward, emphasising the importance of EAS Ambassadors.

"It is imperative to enhance the function of EAS Ambassadors in order to construct Confidence-Building Measures (CBM). They ought to talk about fundamental issues as well as technical and practical ones, the speaker stated.

Palestine was a hot topic during the EAS talks, with representatives from a number of nations bringing it up, including Malaysia, Brunei, India, the US, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, Russia, New Zealand, and China. The South China Sea, observance of international law, Indo-Pacific peace and stability, energy resilience, food security, environmental concerns, health, Ukraine, Myanmar, nuclear weapons, connectivity, digital economy, and transnational crime were among the other subjects covered.



The United States and India were among the partner nations who reiterated their support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) during the summit.

The EAS concluded with a Chairman's Statement reaffirming member countries' commitment to strengthening EAS as a leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on strategic, political, and economic issues of mutual interest, with the aim of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia. The meeting also agreed to push forward the EAS Leaders' Statement on Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience, expected to be adopted at the EAS Leaders' Summit in October.

The EAS is a cooperation mechanism in ASEAN comprising all ASEAN member states and eight partners: Australia, the United States, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, and New Zealand.

 said.