Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Tuesday that Indonesia’s current presidency of ASEAN will make sure that the regional bloc will not be dictated by proxy forces amid the escalation of geopolitical tensions that could jeopardize peace and stability in the region.

His remarks came two days after the president led a ceremony to kick off Indonesia’s ASEAN presidency in Jakarta, riding on the country’s success in leading the G20 last year.

“Immediately after the G20, we received the leadership baton of ASEAN amid sharp geopolitical rivalry among great powers and I said that ASEAN must not become a proxy for anybody,” Jokowi said during an exclusive interview with BTV news broadcaster at the presidential palace in Jakarta.

“ASEAN must continue to become a peaceful region and also become the epicenter of growth,” he told BTV Chief Editor Apreyvita Wulansari.

Read More:

• ASEAN to Contribute to the World: Jokowi
• S. Korea to Make Indonesia Production Base in ASEAN with IK-CEPA
• ASEAN Not One-Issue Organization, Indonesia Says

It’s the fifth time Indonesia chaired the Southeast Asian regional grouping after assuming the post in 1976, 1996, 2003, and 2011. The bloc also has its secretariat building in Jakarta which was renovated under Jokowi’s instruction in 2019.

The president said that ASEAN is actively pursuing “equal partnership” with major powers or other regional blocs, such as the European Union with which ASEAN had the first-ever summit in Brussels last month.

“During the ASEAN-EU Summit in Brussels, I delivered a message that ASEAN is open to partnership with every country as long as we embrace equality. There should be no coercion and no country dictates to another what to do,” Jokowi said.

As the current chair of ASEAN, Indonesia has prepared a busy year that will involve 494 meetings across many regions in the archipelago.

ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.