Widodo calls for ASEAN travel corridor to strengthen recovery

[ad_1]

A security official stands outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday, October 25, 2021. Southeast Asian leaders meet are meeting this week for their annual summit where Myanmar’s top general, whose forces seized power in February and shattered one of Asia’s most phenomenal democratic transitions, has been expelled for refusing to take action to end deadly violence.

A security official stands outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday, October 25, 2021. Southeast Asian leaders meet gather this week for their annual summit where Myanmar’s top general, whose forces seized power in February and shattered one of Asia’s most phenomenal democratic transitions, has been expelled for refusing to take action to end deadly violence.

People walk through a crowded street market on Sunday October 24, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. Southeast Asian leaders gather this week for their annual summit where Myanmar’s highest general, whose forces seized power in February and shattered one of Asia’s most phenomenal democratic transitions, was expelled for refusing to take action to end the deadly violence.

In this image taken from a video released by ASEAN Business Advisory Council Brunei, Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday. October 25, 2021. Widodo urged Southeast Asian countries to accelerate plans to create a regional travel corridor to help revive tourism and accelerate recovery from economic damage from the pandemic.

FILE – In this file photo from April 22, 2021, the flags of member countries fly at the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. Southeast Asian leaders gather from October 26-28, 2021 for their annual summit where Myanmar’s highest general, whose forces seized power in February and shattered one of the most phenomenal democratic transitions from Asia, was expelled for refusing to take action to end the deadly violence.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged Southeast Asian countries to accelerate plans to create a regional travel corridor to help revive tourism and accelerate recovery from economic damage of the pandemic.

Citing data from the UN and the World Trade Organization, Widodo said on Monday that the level of restrictions in Southeast Asia was the highest in the world. With coronavirus cases in the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations being on the decline, those limits should be relaxed to allow people to travel more freely, he said.

Speaking at a regional business forum, Widodo urged the immediate adoption of a regional travel corridor, a concept pioneered by Indonesia in 2020 that would include faster immigration routes, recognition of vaccination certificates and standardized health measures for departure and arrival, among others.

â€œAfter 20 months of dealing with the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, we now see a silver lining. Over the past week, COVID-19 cases in ASEAN fell 14%, far exceeding the global average, which fell 1%.

“With the COVID-19 situation becoming more under control, these restrictions could be relaxed, mobility could be relaxed, while ensuring that it is safe from the risk of a pandemic,” he said.

[ad_2]