Indonesia is expected to take big roles in world maritime issues by considering several crucial aspects such as geographical location and strategic geo-political position of Indonesia in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. Academicians from all over the world predicted that Indonesia will lead maritime cooperation among ASEAN countries and realize ASEAN connectivity. However, President Jokowi seems to excessively focus on domestic politics or to be inward looking. This circumstance is contrary to his statement dealing with foreign policy shouted at the beginning of his reign that he would like to make Indonesia a world maritime shaft.

In a seminar on ‘Agenda for Japan-Indonesia Cooperation for Maritime Economic Development’ on Monday (7/11) at University of Tsukupa, Japan, Prof. Matoko Shuto, Director of International Area Studies of Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsubuka, stated that ASEAN as an organization in Southeast Asia entails strong leadership to confront various new challenges. “For instance, ASEAN encounters structural power of People’s Republic of China versus the United States, and Japan on ASEAN strategies to faces ASEAN 2025. Besides, ASEAN copes with challenges to establish regulations and tough leadership, and faces conflicts of South China Sea involving several ASEAN members,” he mentioned.

In the seminar attended by International Relations lecturers of UMY as discussants such as Nur Azizah, Dian Azmawati, Sidik Jatmika, Djumadi M. Anwar, Sugeng Riyanto, Wahyuni Kartikasari, and Ratih Herningtyas, IPIREL students of UMY who were Haryoyudo Satrio Anggoro and Dhany Putra Pratama, and students of University of Tsubuka, Prof. Shuto emphasized that massively economic aggression of People’s Republic of China in ASEAN countries is no longer underestimated. Hence, Indonesia is expected to take roles to bring ASEAN into independence era as regional cooperation. “Firm actions of Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti toward illegal fishing in Indonesian oceans are not followed by the development of synergy policy for domestic politics of Indonesia. Indeed, it is necessary to undertake to achieve national interests in relations between Indonesia and other countries, and to bring into reality the goal of Indonesia as a world maritime shaft,” he contended.