Jakarta. ASEAN has not made any formal talks with Aukus security alliance and the Quad grouping, according to an Indonesian envoy to the Southeast Asian bloc.

The comment came after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said in a recent media interview that ASEAN should view both the Aukus and Quad as “partners, not competitors”.

The Quad comprises Australia, India, Japan, and the US. Aukus is a strategic defense alliance between Australia, the UK and the US. Under the Aukus, the US and the UK will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

With Indonesia chairing ASEAN this year, Jokowi’s remarks led to assumptions that the group was warming to Aukus and the Quad.

Derry Aman, the Indonesian Permanent Representative to ASEAN, said that ASEAN had always been open to cooperation with any parties. The individual members of Aukus and Quad are already dialogue partners to ASEAN.

“But again, there is no formal mechanism. There is no formal dialogue or cooperation between ASEAN and Quad or Aukus,” Derry said at a FPCI foreign policy forum in Jakarta on Monday. 

“Mr. Jokowi [made the statement] based on the general knowledge that ASEAN is open to any interaction and cooperation that should be meaningful to ASEAN,” Derry said.

The recent 42nd ASEAN Summit also did not have any talks related to the Quad or Aukus, according to the diplomat.

Malaysia’s New Straits Times recently asked Jokowi on how ASEAN chair Indonesia planned on strengthening the bloc’s role in achieving regional and global security amidst the emergence of Quad and Aukus. 

“To me, we should view the Quad and Aukus as partners, not competitors. Asean's aim is to make the region a stable and peaceful one,” Jokowi said.

Rizal Sukma, a senior fellow at think-tank CSIS, told Monday’s FPCI conference that it would be very unlikely for ASEAN to cooperate with Aukus on the latter’s nuclear submarine pact. 

Rizal added: “But there is a second pillar [to the Aukus] which comprises cooperation on emerging technologies, quantum, and so on. There is a possibility for [ASEAN and Aukus] to work on [this pillar], at least in research and in learning what they are working on.Emerging technology is something that we need to understand.”

“I think Mr. Jokowi is well aware of the two pillars to Aukus,” Rizal said.

Commenting on the Quad, Rizal said ASEAN could team up with the grouping on many areas, among others, on disaster management and combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read More: Quiet Diplomacy Raises Expectations on ASEAN Chair Indonesia

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