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ENPASAR: Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika says that the island will soon start to prepare in earnest for the ASEAN Summit on Nov. 17-18 and the East Asia Summit on Nov. 19.

“The ASEAN Fair will be held from three weeks before the summit until one week after the summit. So the island will be very busy for a full month. This international event needs serious preparations and we will make sure that all these events go smoothly and securely,” he said on Saturday.

Pastika said that Vice President Boediono had informed him of the necessary preparations at meeting last week in Jakarta.

“I told the Vice President that Bali is ready to host the event,” Pastika said.

The ASEAN Summit, he said, would provide the island with a golden opportunity to promote its dynamic tourism industry as well as provide job opportunities to local residents.

“The theme of the ASEAN Fair is cultural and creative productivity. This theme suits Bali the best and we will use it as a chance to introduce the idea of organizing the World Cultural Forum in Bali,” he added. — JP