THE 43rd meeting of the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) in Jakarta, Indonesia, succeeded in maintaining regional stability and prosperity, according to summit chairman Joko Widodo.

Closing the meeting on Thursday, the  Indonesian president said members were seeking to develop a region that was a “theatre of peace and inclusiveness.”

He said the summit will be an important foundation for opening up a better future for the region and the world as a whole, adding that the world needs a safe house, and Asean is on the track to be able to perform those roles.

He called on Asean nations to work together to turn challenges into opportunities, rivalries into collaborations, exclusivity into inclusivity and differences into unity.

At the close, Indonesia handed over the Asean chairmanship for 2024 to Laos. Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said his country would focus on promoting connectivity, seeking co-operation opportunities and solving challenges in a rapidly changing global political scene.

Founded in 1967, Asean groups together Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.