KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The synergy between Malaysia, Indonesia, and their Asean partners is important to ensure that the region's voice is heard more at the global level, especially in facing the geopolitical challenges of a world full of tension, said Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
He stressed that the close relations between Malaysia and Indonesia, as related countries that share history, culture, ethnicity, and religion, should be used as a basis for stronger strategic cooperation, thereby strengthening Asean unity.
"In terms of geopolitics, we are aware that the world is now full of tension and uncertainty. That is why in Malaysia and Indonesia's view, we need to continue to consult; we need to continue to synergise with our other Asean friends.
"Only with unity among Asean countries and good cooperation between us, our voice will be heard more; we will be taken into account more by forces that are much greater than us," Prabowo said.
During a press conference with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Petronas Twin Towers in conjunction with a state visit to Malaysia today, he stressed that Asean, with more than 600 million people, has great potential comparable to the European Union.
"The whole world recognises Southeast Asia as a region of growth and now, Southeast Asia for many decades, the region of peace.
"We do not have conflicts between Asean countries. For that, Anwar and I had a very intensive meeting, discussing many problems and cooperation, the essence is the political decision, the political will that Malaysia and Indonesia must cooperate closely," Prabowo said.
Commenting on Palestine, he said Malaysia and Indonesia share the same stance in supporting the two-state solution.
"On the Palestinian issue, we are on the same page. We support the independence of Palestine and we are firm that the only solution is the two-state solution.
"That is what we always say. We accept the current ceasefire and hope it will last," Prabowo said.
Meanwhile, the President gave Indonesia's commitment to support Malaysia's leadership as the 2025 Asean chair.
"We support Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship this year," he said.
Malaysia officially assumed the Asean chairmanship starting on January 1, with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'. Previously, Malaysia held the chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
Asean comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
From January to November last year, the total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Indonesia was RM106.06 billion (US$23.2 billion), up from RM101.99 billion (US$22.41 billion) recorded in the same period in 2023.
Indonesia was Malaysia's eighth-largest trading partner globally and third largest in Asean in 2023, with a total trade of RM111.21 billion (US$24.39 billion).
— Bernama
