Bandar Seri Begawan. Indonesia has warned its Southeast Asian and European partners that too many countries have failed to follow international laws in their entirety, although Jakarta avoids explicitly pointing fingers at anyone.

Chief diplomats of ASEAN and the European Union (EU) nations had gathered in the Bruneian capital of Bandar Seri Begawan on Tuesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir led Indonesia’s delegation to the biennial event.

Jakarta kicked off its turn by pointing out the impact of conflicts -- be it Gaza, Ukraine, or the Middle East crisis -- on the world. They have caused energy prices and food costs to soar, while wrecking supply chains.

“Beyond the visible conflicts around the world, there is a much deeper crisis. It is the steady erosion of trust in the global system,” Arrmanatha said, according to a transcript of his speech shared on Wednesday.

“Too many countries today apply rules and international laws selectively, and global institutions respond too slowly to real-world crises,” Arrmanatha said, without saying which nations he was referring to. 

He went on to say that the so-called “Global South” -- including those in ASEAN -- bear the brunt of the “disruptions that [they] did not create”. “Global South” is a common term used to refer to the poorer, non-Western nations. Jakarta then called on the EU to step forward as a “reliable third pillar in the evolving geopolitical and geo-economic landscape”. 

“... working with ASEAN to keep the international system rules-based, open, fair, and stable. Because in a world of rising rivalry, strategic balance requires trusted alternatives.”

Arrmanatha had previously spoken to the Jakarta Globe on the sidelines of the Brunei talks. Indonesia wants ASEAN and the EU to forge ahead with its plan to create a bloc-to-bloc free trade agreement.

For Jakarta, this could be a concrete example of how the two blocs could work together amid rising protectionism, alluding to Donald Trump's import taxes.

“[An ASEAN-EU trade deal] would deliver concrete boons to our people and businesses. It will go beyond boosting economic integration, but will amplify the strategic trust between the two regions,” Arrmanatha told the Globe.

“Today, we see many countries wanting to close their own market.”

A 63-point joint statement of the ASEAN-EU meeting indicated “shared interest” in safeguarding the rules-based international order. There was also a paragraph dedicated to Iran’s Strait of Hormuz closure, in which they urged an unimpeded transit of their oil tankers and cargoes. While the intent is there to pursue a region-to-region trade deal, the two clubs remain undecided on the timeline.

Media access to the meeting was restricted, as only the opening remarks by co-chairs Brunei and the EU were open for journalists.