ASEAN to Finalize Agreement on EV Ecosystem

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said that several agreements will be sealed during the 42nd ASEAN Summit in May this year, including the development of electric vehicles (EVs).

"In the High-Level Task Force on Economic Integration meeting, ASEAN countries have reached an agreement to establish a supportive ecosystem for EVs in the region. We will finalize it during the upcoming summit in May," Retno told a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 5.

Indonesia is focusing on three priorities during its 4th term as ASEAN chair. The theme of its chairmanship this year is “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.”

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The theme summarizes three pillars: ASEAN Matters, Epicentrum of Growth, and the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

Under the Epicentrum of Growth pillar, Indonesia will seek to ensure the toughening of energy resilience to provide sufficient support for the transition from fossil-based energy to sustainable and clean energy. Thus, Indonesia is urging ASEAN to establish a designated ecosystem for EV development in the region.

In March, the ASEAN Cooperation Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sidharto Suryodiputro said that the ecosystem’s establishment could begin with the setting of a standard for EVs in ASEAN.

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According to Suryodiputro, Indonesia, along with other ASEAN countries, wields a comparative advantage in the context of EVs.

"ASEAN is considered one of the largest economic regions in the world. With that in mind, ASEAN should be able to set its own standard," he said.

“EV-producing countries such as China, South Korea, and the US have their own sets of standards. We should look for the possibility of ASEAN having its own. We are convinced that ASEAN is capable of accomplishing such a feat," he added.

Source: State News Antara