Indonesian President Joko Widodo Calls for End to the Ukraine War

NusantaraPol - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called for an immediate end to the Ukraine War. The President emphasized this statement at the ASEAN-US Special Summit held at the US Department of State, Washington DC, Friday (13/05/2022).

According to President Jokowi, the war in Ukraine has created a humanitarian tragedy and worsened the world economy. Prices of food, energy, and inflation rate have increased, severely weighing on the economy and slowing the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in developing and least developed countries.

“When the world ought to quickly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is facing a new problem, the war in Ukraine. The world needs cooperation and collaboration, but rivalry and confrontation are getting sharper. When the world needs stronger multilateralism, it is unilateralism that is getting more and more prominent," said President Jokowi, as quoted from the cabinet secretariat website.

President Jokowi attends the ASEAN-US Special Summit at the United States Department of Foreign Affairs, Washington DC, Friday (13/05/2022). (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Laily Rachev).

Furthermore, the President also said that the war in Ukraine has weakened multilateralism and has the potential to divide relations between countries.

“War won't benefit anyone. The world has no other choice but to stop the war right now. Every country and leader has the responsibility to create an enabling environment so that war can be stopped and peace can be realized," said the President.

Economic growth, according to President Jokowi, is also concerning. The International Monetary Fund or IMF has lowered its prediction for economic growth in emerging and developing Asia by 0.5 percent in 2022 and 0.2 percent in 2023. And the World Bank has reduced its projection for economic growth in several ASEAN countries to 1.2 percent.

"For some ASEAN members, a 10 percent increase in oil prices will result in a 0.7 percent decrease in national income, and an increase in wheat prices will result in a 1 percent increase in poverty," the President explained.

The President reiterated, "For more than five decades, ASEAN has continued to build an inclusive security architecture, put forward a collaboration paradigm, and encourage a habit of dialogue and rules-based orders. We encourage the same spirit in the Indo-Pacific through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific," explained the President.

At the Special Summit attended by President Joe Biden and the ASEAN countries' leaders, President Jokowi welcomed America's initiative through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

“Of course, cooperation under IPEF must be inclusive. I hope there is a synergy between IPEF and the implementation of priority cooperation in the AOIP (ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific)," said President Jokowi.

When Indonesia becomes the chair of ASEAN next year, President Jokowi also conveys his plan to hold the Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Forum. "I look forward to the participation of the United States in the forum," concluded the President.

Also accompanying President Jokowi at the ASEAN-US Special Summit were Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi, and Indonesian Ambassador to the US Rosan Roeslani.