Can Indonesia turn ASEAN into a global player?   

For the record, 2011 will be an exciting year for ASEAN – based on the must-do list the new ASEAN chair has vowed to accomplish at regional and international levels. In its second week, Indonesia has taken the chair with a confidence and relish rarely witnessed in ASEAN’s over four-decade history, coupled with a blueprint to push the grouping into the global limelight. Jakarta’s enthusiasm has already drawn praise from the secretary-general of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, who complimented the chair’s preparedness to be “engaged, proactive, using the ASEAN platform to enhance ASEAN’s profile in the global arena”. (The Nation)

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