Indonesia prepares for ASEAN, G-20 meetings

Indonesia is preparing for meetings of G-20 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which will be held in the country in 2023.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on January 20 that the events’ organising board has selected Labuan Bajo as the venue of G20 and ASEAN meetings in 2023.

The town, near a World Heritage site inhabited by Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizards, is on Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province.

There is a huge work Indonesia has to complete by the end of this year, the President said, adding the country is preparing all from infrastructure, landscape, clean water to waste management.

Labuan Bajo is a popular transit point for tourists heading to nearby islands to see Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 3m, and to observe one of the region's richest marine environments.

Starting from February, a special ship will be sent to Labuan Bajo to clean up marine debris and the town's small airport will be developed.

Komodo National Park, which includes Komodo, Padar and Rinca islands and numerous smaller ones, was declared a World Heritage site in 1986. The Komodo Biosphere Reserve was accepted under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1977./.

VNA