President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked all officials, as well as the private sector involved in the organizing committee, to work hard organizing the upcoming 2013 APEC Summit in Bali
resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked all officials, as well as the private sector involved in the organizing committee, to work hard organizing the upcoming 2013 APEC Summit in Bali.
At the summit preparation coordination meeting in Nusa Dua on Sunday, Yudhoyono said that the summit had to be well-organized to give the best impression to all heads of state and delegates attending the meetings.
'I am sure that all of us have a passion to make the APEC Summit in Bali as good as any other APEC meeting held before, or even better,' Yudhoyono said, when presiding over a coordination meeting at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) on Sunday.
The meeting was attended by officials, ministers, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, representatives from Bali's tourist industry, and several foreign ambassadors. Two of the ministers attending the meeting were Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan.
Yudhoyono explained two criteria that should be used to measure the success of the APEC Summit.
The first criterion was success in summit material. 'With global economic conditions yet to recover, the summit must be a success. All economic leaders should get something for their respective economic interests when they return to their home countries. The meeting should also offer something for regional and global economic interests,' he said.
The second criterion, Yudhoyono added, was a successfully organized summit. Holding the APEC Summit in Bali gave a special impression, as Bali was well-known internationally. 'Therefore, let's capitalize. Let's use the competitiveness of Bali to make the implementation of this summit one of the best meetings ever in the world,' Yudhoyono said.
The APEC Summit is an annual meeting attended by many economic leaders. Last year, the summit was held in Vladivostok, Russia. In 2011, it was held in Hawaii in the US.
This year, as many as 15 heads of state have confirmed their attendance. Among them are US President Barack Obama and Russian Premier Vladimir Putin.
Yudhoyono admitted that the summit in Bali could not compare with the summit in Vladivostok, as the infrastructure in Vladivostok was far better than Bali. 'However, with the limited facilities we have, I am sure that we can hold a memorable APEC Summit and give beautiful memories to all the APEC leaders that attend.'
Yudhoyono was confident that Indonesia had enough experience to achieve success with the APEC Summit, having previously hosted the ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit.
The three-hour meeting was followed with an inspection of facilities at the BNDCC, and the Sofitel Nusa Dua Hotel, the new toll road and Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Vice chairman of the APEC Summit organizing committee, Chairul Tanjung, said that preparations for the summit had reached 80 percent completion. Finishing touches were still being made at the airport and the Sofitel Nusa Dua Hotel. The Sofitel will be the main venue for the summit, alongside the BNDCC and Bali International Convention Center.
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