RRI.CO.ID, Manila – Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono called for the revitalization of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to make it more responsive to evolving security challenges while upholding ASEAN Centrality. Speaking at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, the Philippines, on Thursday (July 23, 2026), Sugiono said the region's strategic environment has changed significantly since the ARF was established in 1994, making it necessary for the forum to adapt to today's security challenges.

"Revitalization does not mean changing the ARF's fundamental purpose. It means strengthening the ARF's existing mechanisms so they are more modern and capable of addressing the region's real challenges," Sugiono said.

He noted that the ARF remains relevant as a platform that brings together the region's key stakeholders for dialogue. However, he stressed that the forum's effectiveness must be strengthened to produce more concrete cooperation. Sugiono also underscored the importance of implementing the Manila Plan of Action, adopted at the meeting, as the ARF's guiding framework for the 2026–2036 period.

"This requires an implementation-oriented ARF, where all of its work programs translate into concrete partnerships," he said.

Sugiono added that Indonesia welcomed ASEAN's decision to admit the United Kingdom as the 28th member of the ARF. According to him, expanding participation should go hand in hand with efforts to strengthen the forum's effectiveness. In his closing remarks, Sugiono called on all ARF members to advance preventive diplomacy to help prevent tensions from escalating into conflict, while remaining guided by the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

"A more mature ARF will help build a more stable, peaceful, and secure region, and contribute to global peace, including for Palestine," Sugiono said.

The 33rd ARF was attended by its 27 member countries, comprising key regional players from across the world. The meeting adopted the Manila Plan of Action as the forum's roadmap for cooperation over the next decade.