Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reviewed the 43rd ASEAN Summit venue at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Senayan here on Friday.President Jokowi arrived at the JCC at around 9:30 a.m. local time, accompanied by several ministers of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet, including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir. The president and the ministers checked several rooms, two of which were the Media Center in JCC’s Hall B and the JCC Plenary Hall that will be used for the ASEAN Summit’s main meeting. On that occasion, while being interviewed by the media crews, Jokowi affirmed that preparations for the ASEAN Summit that will present heads of state from 11 ASEAN countries and nine partner countries on September 5-7, 2023, were almost complete. “We will hold the ASEAN Summit, and some preparations will be completed in one or two days,” he remarked. Responding to questions on minor issues that need to be fixed, he stated that some flags of countries need to be raised higher. Meanwhile, President Jokowi has received confirmation of the presence of the heads of state at the ASEAN Summit. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is processing the confirmation. He highlighted that this year’s ASEAN Summit has several important agendas, one of which will focus on the region’s economic sector. “There are many (agendas), but the main focus is on the economy, ASEAN as the epicentrum of economic growth,” he said. fter leaving the interview session, President Jokowi continued to review other rooms at the venue. Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023 seeks to provide opportunities for ASEAN to play an active role and offer ideas and solutions for peace and prosperity in the region.

Source: Antara News Agency