President Jokowi Inaugurates New ASEAN Secretariat Building

President Jokowi handed symbolically the key of the new building to Secretary General of the ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi, Jakarta, Thursday (8/8). (Photo by: Jay/PR)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Thursday (8/8) inaugurated the new ASEAN Secretariat building located on Jalan Sisingamaraja in South Jakarta.

“I still recall the time when the ASEAN Deputy Secretary General and I discussed the new building plan,” President Jokowi said, adding that because the discussion took place when he was Governor of Jakarta and he felt he had a personal attachment to the construction of the new ASEAN Secretariat building.

During the inauguration ceremony which was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN countries, the President also stated the building is needed by the ASEAN to support its mission, while expresseing hopes that the building can be used in most of ASEAN activities in the future.

“This will drastically reduce travel costs that have to be spent mainly by the ASEAN Secretariat and the permanent representatives of ASEAN and it can be allocated to other beneficial activities,” he added.

At the end of the inauguration, President Jokowi symbolically handed the key of the new building to Secretary General of the ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi. (HIM/JAY/ES)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas