By: Ferdiansyah Putra )*
Various forms of readiness from many sectors have been carefully carried out by Indonesia as Chair of the ASEAN Summit 2023 to be able to provide and welcome all guest delegations as well as possible.
In 2023, Indonesia will again hold a very important position in an international forum. Previously, Indonesia also held an important position in 2022, namely becoming chairman (Presidency) of the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit. Now, Indonesia has again been entrusted with becoming chair of the 2023 ASEAN Summit.
In this way, Indonesia continues to strive to ensure that every agenda carried out at the ASEAN level meeting is prepared as well as possible.
Soon the 2023 ASEAN Summit will be held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). As many as 11 heads of state from members of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold a meeting in Labuan Bajo. Including, the Secretary General (Secretary General) of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn who will certainly attend the ASEAN Summit.
The 2023 ASEAN Summit leaders’ retreat in Labuan Bajo took place on 9-11 May 2023 and took place in the Tana Mori Special Economic Zone (KEK), which is not far from Golo Mori Village or 25 kilometers from Labuan Bajo, the capital of West Manggarai Regency.
For this reason, the Government has made a lot of preparations in order to welcome all guest delegations from friendly countries. In this regard, representatives from the Ministry, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) were seen busy in Labuan Bajo.
Not to be left behind, staff from embassies in various ASEAN member countries have also started arriving in Labuan Bajo to monitor venues and hotels that will be used by high-ranking ASEAN countries.
West Manggarai Regent, Edistasius Endi confirmed various preparations. After utilizing the 25-kilometer Labuan Bajo-Golo Mori access which was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in mid-March 2023, the PUPR Ministry is racing against time to complete sidewalk construction in the city of Labuan Bajo.
Very thorough preparations have been made, even including the sidewalks from the Local Collection to Plataran which are being worked on by the PUPR Ministry. In addition, Komodo Airport, which is located in Labuan Bajo, has changed its status and been designated as an international airport.
Edistasius Endi added that the status of Komodo Airport as an international airport had been officially announced. He hoped that the airport could continue to have the status of an international airport, not just for the purposes of holding the ASEAN Summit.
There are also several preparations that have been made and are no less important. The West Manggarai Regent added that preparations had been made including determining the parking location for the vehicles that would be used by the delegates.
In fact, one of the parking locations located in the courtyard of the Regent’s office will be fitted with a device for charging, because the vehicles that will be used by the delegates are vehicles powered by New and Renewable Energy (EBT).
The use of EBT as a vehicle is also in the context of realizing that all countries in ASEAN have strongly supported the energy transition so that in the future it will be able to minimize the impact of environmental damage and also as an effort or solution regarding global warming and world climate change.
Regent Edistasius said that currently preparations were complete, including the referral hospital for the ASEAN Summit delegates. Regarding the aspect of health services, preparations have also been made, namely the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes RI) has designated 3 (three) referral hospitals for the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, namely at Komodo Hospital, Siloam Hospital and Santo Yosep Hospital.
Ahead of the 2023 ASEAN Summit which will be held in Labuan Bajo and Indonesia as its Chairman, of course Indonesia is eager to welcome all the guest delegates very well, therefore various preparations from various sectors have been carried out carefully.
)* The author is Nusantara Reading Room Contributor
