The statement was made by the director general of resilience, zones, and international industrial access at the Industry Ministry, Eko S.A. Cahyanto, at the virtual Merdeka Barat Forum, which was broadcast here on Monday.
"Since 100 years ago, the city of Solo has been the center of industrialization in Java. There used to be the Solo Madu sugar factory built by Mangkunegara, and it was one of the world's largest sugar industry centers," Cahyanto noted.
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At the G20 event, Indonesia wants to make a good impression on G20 delegates, invited guests from other countries, and representatives of international organizations, he explained.
Currently, Solo is a region where the scale of industrialization is still massive, Cahyanto said.
"In the last 10 years, in Greater Solo (Solo Raya) and its surroundings, industrialization has been quite massive. Some industries now choose Solo Raya as their production base," he added.
Surakarta city as the center of Solo Raya can be showcased during the G20 Presidency as an old and new industrial city, where Indonesia is seen to maintain its traditions and cultural heritage, he suggested.
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"Hence, the impressions that the delegates get, that not only they witness the industrialization, but also the preserved traditions," he said.
Furthermore, the construction of the Trans-Java Toll Road has changed the investment map of the industrial sector, with more firms preferring locations outside the traditional corridor on northern Java Island, he explained.
"This is one of the reasons we chose Surakarta city, which is the center of Solo Raya, as the meeting place of G20's TIIWG," he said.
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Translator: Sella G, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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