Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati delivers her speech during the opening session of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
JAKARTA, Aug 25 (Reuters): Economic growth in the Asean region is estimated at 4.5% this year but the inflation rates of some member countries remain high, Indonesia's finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, said on Friday.
Financial sector ministers of 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) met in Jakarta this week.
Meanwhile, the 17th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME 17) and related meetings have agreed to prioritise the strengthening of regional cooperation in climate change response, biodiversity conservation, plastic waste pollution, and sustainable urban development, reports Bernama and Vietnam News.
The two-day series of events concluded in Laos on Thursday, with a consensus reached regarding the principles of the bloc’s joint statement for the upcoming 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference which will be held in the United Aarab Emirates (UAE) in November.
The meetings welcomed the signing of an agreement to establish the Asean Climate Change Centre to be headquartered in Brunei, aiming to create favourable conditions for regional cooperation and coordination serving initiatives among member states, national governments, and relevant regional and international organisations.
They also reaffirmed the commitment to implementing the Asean Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the Asean Member States, while introducing the Sixth Asean State of Environment Report (SOER6), which provides information on the region’s current status and environmental trends.
Participants also acknowledged the ongoing dialogue between Asean and partners such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, and the United States on environmental and climate change issues.
