Jakarta. Outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will skip next week's ASEAN Summit in Laos by appointing veep Ma’ruf Amin to attend the high-profile gathering instead.

The next ASEAN Summit is set to take place at the bloc’s chair Laotian capital of Vientiane on Oct. 9-11. It is just weeks away before Jokowi retires and hands over the presidential baton to successor Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20.

Foreign Affairs Ministry’s senior official Sidharto R Suryodipuro revealed Friday that Ma’ruf would join the leaders of other ASEAN members and its partners at the forum.

“Vice President [Ma’ruf Amin] will be the head of the Indonesian delegation at the Laos summit... He will go there on President [Jokowi’s] behalf,” Sidharto told a press briefing in Jakarta.

Sidharto confirmed that the reason for Jokowi’s absence was due to the nearing presidential handover.

“Well, the summit’s timing is close to the government transition [or Prabowo’s inauguration],” Sidharto said, while telling the press to ask the State Secretariat for the full details on why Jokowi would not show up at the Laos meeting.

But Jokowi’s nonattendance does not mean that Indonesia cares less about the regional grouping.

“[Jokowi’s absence] does not lower the value of ASEAN in Indonesia’s eyes,” Sidharto said.

Sidharto also talked of Prabowo’s recent tour around Southeast Asian countries, alluding that ASEAN will remain important for Indonesia under the Prabowo government. Just last month, Prabowo flew to some ASEAN countries to meet its leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. 

“So yes, the president-elect had visited some ASEAN countries. So ASEAN will continue to be instrumental to [the country’s] foreign affairs. Indonesia’s position will be consistent as it has been all this time,” Sidharto said.

ASEAN was central to Indonesia's foreign affairs throughout 2023, during which Jakarta was holding the group’s rotating chairmanship. Jokowi led the two leaders’ summits that year in Labuan Bajo and Jakarta. 

According to Sidharto, Ma’ruf is expected to highlight Indonesia’s achievements as the past ASEAN chair at the upcoming regional talks, including on how to maintain the group as an “epicentrum of growth”.

Palestine-related matters will also be high up in the vice president’s agenda in Vientiane -- an expected move as Indonesia has been vocal about its pro-Palestine stance.

“The vice president will bring up [Palestine] in his statements because it concerns civilian protection, humanitarian assistance, and respect to international law. But also because the Palestinian issue has a significant impact on the enforcement of norms and international relations, which are instrumental for our region,” Sidharto said.