The ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on the 8th of May, 2023, marked the official start of the 42nd ASEAN Summit. The Golo Mori Convention Center in the Golo Mori MICE area, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is where the meeting was held.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah in Labuan Bajo on Monday, the 8th of May 2023, “The SOM will discuss several issues including the priorities of Indonesia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023 as well as preparations for organizing a series of meetings at the Foreign Minister level of ASEAN countries and the 42nd ASEAN Summit in 2023.”
Senior representatives from each ASEAN member State’s Foreign Ministry gather during the ASEAN SOM meeting. Members of the ASEAN Secretariat also attended the conference. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting will report on and continue discussing the results of the ASEAN SOM meeting.
Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, the Indonesian SOM Leader and Director General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, oversaw the meeting.
To support the ASEAN region in tackling difficulties and boosting ASEAN’s economic resilience, ASEAN Leaders will start addressing many crucial topics. This endeavour fits with the Indonesian chairmanship’s theme, “ASEAN Matters: Epicentre of Growth.”
Eight Leaders, the Secretary-General, and the Prime Minister of Timor Leste will participate at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in 2023 to address a range of topics of concern to ASEAN.
In an official statement published on the Ministry’s website on Sunday, the 7th of May, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated that Indonesia, which will take over the regional organization’s chairmanship this year, will present some issues and possible derivatives, including, Post-2025 Vision, strengthening ASEAN capacity, full membership of Timor Leste, combating human trafficking, fishing workers, the health sector, establishing village networks, and electric-powered vehicles.
The Foreign Minister stated on the 7th of May that “these are issues or documents that are currently being negotiated by ASEAN member countries.”
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