On Sunday (29/01) morning, the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout hosted the official start of Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023. President Joko Widodo expressed confidence that ASEAN will continue to be relevant by assembling a peaceful and stable Indo Pacific and acting as a center of economic growth.

ASEAN chairmanship kick-off was launched by the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, at Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Sunday (29/01). The Jakarta Provincial Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked together to host the Kick Off event which featured The Nusantara Parade. The fact that the event was coincided with the Motor Vehicle Free Day (HBKB), gave the atmosphere a unique and lively appearance. The parade lineup was vibrant and energetic, featuring marching bands, costumes fit for a carnival, percussion music ensembles, and Jakarta art groups like Betawi dancers and ondel-ondel. President Joko Widodo joined the procession in front of Sarinah and walked alongside it as it made its way to the HI Roundabout following a leisurely bike ride with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta, and several other ministers.

There were over 500 participants in the parade from different representative groups, including the Mawar Budaya group, the Jakarta Music House, the DKI Jakarta Paskibra, students from various high schools in Jakarta, the Altajuru music group, firefighters, and SSY.  Ambassadors from friendly nations and officials from international organizations took part in the parade as well. The presence of an entertainment stage featuring performers like Rara Lida, Putra Lida, and Maria Callista added to the joy of HBKB.

The handover of ASEAN Chairmanship from Cambodia to Indonesia occurred at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh in November 2022. The year-long Indonesian ASEAN Chairmanship period began on January 1 of 2023 and will end on December 31, 2023. As the largest and one of the ASEAN founding members, Indonesia is expected to make significant strides and innovations in addressing global issues that also affect the region.

Through the ASEAN Chairmanship’s theme, “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” Indonesia is committed to leading ASEAN cooperation in 2023 to maintain and strengthen ASEAN’s relevance in responding to regional and global challenges and strengthen ASEAN’s position as the epicentre of regional economic growth, for the prosperity of ASEAN’s people. 

The kickoff was held prior to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting, which will take place on February 3–4, 2023, at the ASEAN Secretariat Building in Jakarta. 

Sourced from Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official site