The 42nd ASEAN Summit was held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Various benefits and positive impacts were felt by local residents where this international event was seen as an opportunity to improve the community’s economy.
The ASEAN Summit or ASEAN Summit (KTT) 2023 is the Association of Nations in the Southeast Asia region, which was formed on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Until now, ASEAN members have become a total of eleven member countries, namely the five founding countries of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Then added Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and finally Timor Leste.
Meanwhile, Indonesia itself has received several mandates for the ASEAN Chair, 1976, 2003, 2011. At the Summit many achievements were produced which have been proven to encourage the progress of ASEAN countries, even the world.
On several occasions, community leaders and religious leaders in Golo Mori Village, Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency, NTT expressed their hope that the designation of the Golo Mori area as the Tana Mori Tourism Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as the location for the 2023 ASEAN Summit will be able to increase the community’s economic income. local in the region.
Hasanudi, a youth leader from Golo Mori Village, said that the ASEAN Summit is expected to boost the region’s economy and tourism, especially in the midst of the slumping COVID-19 pandemic.
The community is very enthusiastic about welcoming the 2023 ASEAN Summit because it is a form of international trust in Indonesia so that this world-scale activity can be carried out safely in a conducive situation.
According to the Religious Leader of Golo Mori Village, Abdul Hadip Muksim, the tourism development process must be economically feasible, carried out efficiently in order to be able to provide significant economic benefits for both regional development and improving the welfare of local communities in Golo Mori Village.
Indonesia is indeed ready to welcome the 2023 ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. As the host of the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Indonesia carries the big theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”.
Previously, Indonesia as the G20 Presidency in the midst of various global challenges had received appreciation and trust from many countries, where the Government also continued to encourage ASEAN to become a stable and peaceful region to become the anchor of global economic stability.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi stated that the theme of ASEAN 2023 consisted of two major elements, namely ASEAN Matters and the Epicentrum of Growth. The first element is ASEAN Matters, namely how Indonesia with its chairmanship continues to make ASEAN relevant and important not only for the Indonesian people, but also for the people of ASEAN, even for people outside ASEAN.
Whereas in the second element, namely the Epicentrum of Growth, namely ASEAN as a center of growth shows that economic growth in the ASEAN region always grows higher than other countries outside ASEAN.
For information, at the 41st ASEAN Summit in Cambodia on November 13, 2022, Indonesia received the mandate to hold the ASEAN 2023 Chairmanship. Likewise, in 2023, Indonesia will host the 2023 ASEAN Summit.
Indonesia has indeed won a lot of trust from the international community in organizing global standard events. Indonesia itself has held the chairmanship of ASEAN four times, namely in 1976, 1996, 2003, and finally in 2011. In 2023, this is the 5th time that Indonesia has become the captain of ASEAN.
President Joko Widodo also expressed optimism that ASEAN would remain relevant and become an important center of economic growth in the region.
Indonesia is believed to be capable of facilitating various breakthroughs as solutions in overcoming world challenges that are also faced by the Southeast Asian Region. The trust and support of various parties to Indonesia’s chairmanship is inseparable from Indonesia’s diplomatic strategy and strong leadership in ASEAN.
President Jokowi has indeed decided that the 2023 ASEAN Summit will be held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), one of which is as a form of government support to restore the tourism industry in eastern Indonesia after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government really wants Labuan Bajo and its surrounding areas to be recognized by delegates to the 2023 ASEAN Summit. This is because there are still many other tourist areas in Indonesia that have great potential. []
Author: Rini Winda A. (Senior contributor / Social economic observer)
