We will offer the delegates Belitung's original and iconic foods.
Belitung (ANTARA) - The government of Belitung district, Bangka Belitung Islands province, will promote dozens of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at an ASEAN blue economy ministerial-level forum scheduled on July 1–4, 2023.

"We will involve a limited number of Belitung's MSME actors at the upcoming ASEAN Blue Economy Forum," deputy head of Belitung district, Isyak Meirobie, said in Tanjung Pandan on Monday after chairing the final meeting on the preparations for the forum.

The international forum would provide an opportunity to local MSMEs to showcase and market their products, he added.

"So, we will prepare a designated place for MSME actors to promote their products at the venue of the event," he informed.

Indonesia is currently holding the chairmanship of the ASEAN, which is themed "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth" to reflect its goal of making ASEAN important and relevant as a global growth center.

At the 42nd ASEAN Summit held from May 9–11 in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, the bloc's leaders produced several important documents, including the Declaration on Advancing Regional Payment Connectivity and Promoting Local Currency Transactions and the Declaration on the Establishment of an ASEAN Villages Network.

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According to Meirobie, all the products that will be featured at the event have undergone a selection process.

"We carried out a curation process, just like what we did for the MSME products displayed at the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting (DMM)," he added.

The process was undertaken to ensure that only original products from Belitung are featured at the ASEAN Blue Economy Forum.

"We will offer the delegates Belitung's original and iconic foods," he said.

The preparations for the forum have been going well, he added and called on the residents of Belitung to show their support so that the event runs smoothly.

"The delegates of the ASEAN Blue Economy Forum will be welcomed by elementary school students holding the flags of ASEAN countries at a number of spots," he said.

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Translator: Kasmono, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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