VIENTIANE -- Southeast Asian countries have their disagreements, but to Indonesia's trade minister, this much is clear: The bloc's economic integration is "not losing momentum," and breaking up is not an option.
Enggartiasto Lukita, the trade minister, was speaking on Monday during a special session of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2016 in the Laotian capital. Discord within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has prompted suggestions that certain countries might consider dropping out, but when asked about this, Lukita replied: "ASEAN cannot survive without Malaysia, ASEAN cannot survive without Cambodia. Not one country within ASEAN can be lost."
