Indonesian Foreign Minister - ASEAN Chair 2023 Retno Marsudi, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, and heads of ASEAN delegations (Photo: Dao Trang/VNA)

Speaking at a ceremony to officially kick off Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2023 on Sunday, Widodo said that ASEAN will continue to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and help maintain economic growth because ASEAN matters and is the epicentre of growth.

At the ceremony to receive the ASEAN Chairmanship role on November 13th, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President Widodo affirmed that ASEAN should become a peaceful region and anchor for global stability. ASEAN should also consistently uphold international law and not act as a proxy for anyone.