Gyeongju:
President Prabowo Subianto called for the Asia Pacific region to rebuild mutual trust and strengthen concrete cooperation amid rising global uncertainty and tensions. The call was delivered in the President's remarks at the first session of the
APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM), held at the Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), Gyeongju, South Korea.
Themed "Towards a More Connected, Resilient Region and Beyond," the forum served as a platform for APEC leaders to strengthen their commitment to inclusive, open, and equitable growth. President Prabowo warned that rising suspicion and tension could threaten global economic stability. However, the President emphasized that the Asia Pacific region must not succumb to division.
"We meet today amidst global uncertainty. Tensions and rising mistrust are endangering global economic stability and exacerbating divisions among us. However, I believe that the Asia-Pacific region must not accept division as its destiny. We must rise above suspicion and fear, and we must rebuild trust among ourselves and within the global economy," said President Prabowo, as quoted from
Setkab.go.id, Friday, October 31, 2025.
President Prabowo stated that APEC was founded from its inception with the spirit of inclusive economic growth and multilateral cooperation. The President emphasized the importance of renewing our commitment to an open and fair trading system based on international rules.
"It is time for us to renew our commitment to open, fair, and inclusive multilateral economic cooperation. Indonesia is committed to a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and to ensuring that everyone competes on a level playing field," the President emphasized.
President Prabowo also warned that exclusive economic growth will only create division and instability. The President also called for inclusivity and sustainability to be the main guidelines for APEC member economies in building a shared future.
"Exclusive growth is divisive growth. Division leads to instability, and instability is not conducive to peace and prosperity. Therefore, inclusivity should be our guiding principle," said the President.
The President also emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing cross-border crimes such as smuggling, money laundering, and drug trafficking, which hamper real economic growth and undermine the region's future.
Concluding his remarks, President Prabowo invited all APEC leaders to work together to build new trust and strengthen regional collaboration.
"Let us work together to continue building APEC and pursue cooperation through multilateralism to ensure APEC continues to deliver tangible benefits," concluded President Prabowo.
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