AEC pledge economic support, cooperation with ASEAN chair

THE Council of Ministers of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has committed to providing close support and cooperation with the bloc’s rotating chair Indonesia in order to promote the economic priorities of the region.

The 22nd AEC council meeting was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 7.

Indonesian Minister for Economic Coordination Airlangga Hartarto met with AEC members, delegations from the ASEAN member states and the ASEAN secretary-general.

Hartarto said the meeting was aimed at exchanging views between the assembled ministers and the AEC Council.

“The meeting agenda included the progress of ASEAN’s work and initiatives related to sustainable development, the ecosystem development process and the promotion of electric vehicles – one of Indonesia’s economic priorities for 2023. We also discussed regional and global economic perspectives and the economic priorities that exist under Indonesia’s chairmanship,” he said.

Discussions were also held on the progress of the establishment of the ASEAN Digital Economic Framework Agreement, preparations for the AEC’s vision after 2025, and Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership proposal.

Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce and Cambodian AEC council representative, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the 2022 conference, which took place during the Kingdom’s chairmanship of ASEAN.

He noted that 16 out of 19 economic priorities had been achieved, with the remaining three scheduled to be completed by year’s end.

He pledged to work with all ASEAN members to provide support for the chair holder Indonesia’s economic priorities, as well as those of the AEC.

“I encourage all relevant working groups of the AEC to conduct regular monitoring of the progress that is made in their respective jurisdictions, in order to measure our success,” said Sorasak.