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The AACC Permanent Secretariat and the Constitutional Court\'s International Cooperation Sub-department visiting ASEAN\'s new headquarter at Sisingamangaraja Street, South Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (5/2/2020). Photo by Humas MK.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—To learn and share experiences, the AACC Permanent Secretariat and the Constitutional Court\'s International Cooperation Sub-department visited ASEAN\'s new headquarter at Sisingamangaraja Street, South Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (5/2/2020). The Constitutional Court (MK) delegation led by the Head of the AACC Permanent Secretariat and International Cooperation Department Sri Handayani was welcomed by the Head of Community Relations Romeo Arca Jr. and Community Officer Andhie Ananta in the bilateral meeting room of the main building of ASEAN.

Romeo began the meeting by explaining the history of ASEAN, the background of its establishment, and ASEAN\'s achievements in the last five decades as an economic power in the world. He said that ASEAN members have now realized that ASEAN is a community that will bring peace and mutual progress. He also explained that the permanent secretariat keeps offering support to leaders in making decisions and operating the association. "In one year, the ASEAN secretariat office prepares approximately 1,200 meetings in the form of preparatory meetings to the ASEAN Summit," Romeo said.

In the next session, the Constitutional Court delegation opened the discussion by asking about the preparations made by the 5 ASEAN founding countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore) to mutually agree on the establishment of an association. The Constitutional Court delegation also asked about the conditions set by ASEAN in accepting a new country to join ASEAN. Both questions were raised because they relate to the Constitutional Court\'s international work program, as the Constitutional Court will host the conference for constitutional courts/supreme courts of the member countries of the OIC (Islamic Cooperation Organization) in 2020. The second conference will discuss the possibility of establishing the Judicial Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries. At the same time, as the Permanent Secretariat of the AACC, the MKRI also needs to continue to add member countries.

The meeting, which ended at 12:30 PM, ended with a visit to the ASEAN gallery located on the 2nd floor of the office building. The gallery was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in August 2019. Interns from Australia and Malaysia also joined the official visit to the ASEAN Permanent Secretariat Office. (NL/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

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