"This is a good forum to develop entrepreneurship, produce young enterpreneurs and accelerate national economic growth," Edy Putra Irawady, deputy for industry and trade to the coordinating minister for economic affairs, told a press conference here on Wednesday.
The forum will coincide with the 13rd International Handicraft Trade Fair (INACRAFT) to be held on April 20-24, he said.
"The aim of bringing ACYEA delegates to INACFRAT is to introduce the national industry and trade icon to ACYEA members," he said.
"We will support any real cooperation aimed at enabling Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN to turn (ASEAN) into a production-based single community, allow ASEAN member states benefit from the ASEAN market and increase ASEAN`s integration into the global economy," he said.
As Indonesia is the current chair of ASEAN, he said the Indonesian Young Businessmen Association (HIPMI) has been appointed to host the forum this year.
HIPMI Secretary General M. Ridwan Mustofa said the meeting will hopefully enable Indonesian young businessmen to set an example to young businessmen of other ASEAN member countries, the more so because China as one of the world`s economic giants is playing an important and strategic role.
"As the Indonesian nation, we are proud of this privilege and will fully support it (the forum) in view of ASEAN`s strategic role in establishing regional cooperation with China," he said.
The forum will bring together 15 delegations from ASEAN member countries and China and two delegations representing the regional executive board of HIPMI as well as representatives of ASEAN Secretariat. At the forum, the delegations are expected to sign an ACYEA Charter.
ACYEA is a non-profit, independent ASEAN-China young entrepreneurs association. The association functions as a regional platform where ASEAN and Chinese entrepreneurs can exchange information on cooperation beneficial to the development of trade and economic relations between both sides.(*)
(S012/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
