President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visits Labuan Bajo on April 25, 2023. The president is checking on preparations for the 42nd ASEAN Summit. (JG Screenshot)
Jakarta. The 42nd ASEAN Summit is close approaching and preparations are underway in Labuan Bajo, a fishing town in East Nusa Tenggara.
Leaders of Southeast Asian countries will gather in Labuan Bajo next month. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently made a visit to Labuan Bajo to inspect venues and hotels. According to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Indonesia is paying a great deal of attention to the summit.
"All preparations are on the right track. Hopefully, the huge task of hosting the 42nd summit as the ASEAN chair runs smoothly," Retno said in a recorded video statement.
On May 10-11, Labuan Bajo will host 8 ASEAN-related meetings, five of which are set to take place on the first day. Jokowi is scheduled to lead seven meetings. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will chair the BIMP-EAGA talks. The BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional initiative that focuses on the less developed areas in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
