ASEAN should not just emphasize the meetings but also the socio-cultural pillars"
Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA News) - Developing existing human resources is one way to improve the creative economies in ASEAN, Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Thursday.

Speaking at a session of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nusa Dua, Mari said human resources development was one of the Indonesian government`s policies to promote create economy growth.

"Human resources development is part of the Indonesian government`s policies to improve the creative economy," Mari said.

According to her, the creative economy was also a good source of sustainable economic growth because the sector had resources that never run out.

Ideas were one of the very important resources for the development of certain types of creative economic activities, she said.

She said the ASEAN Film Festival being held in Bali on November 16-17 was expected to have a strategic value in that it could stimulate creative industries in the ASEAN countries.

"The ASEAN Film Festival 2011 (AFF 2011) has a strategic value to foster and develop a network of creative industries," Mari said.

She also expressed hope that the AFF 2011 as part of the ASEAN Fair would be able to help to build up pillars for the development of an ASEAN cultural community and ASEAN economic community.

The minister added that the ASEAN Film Festival was staged in an affort to forge stronger unity among ASEAN member countries in the development of creative industries which were now still dominated by the United States, India, Japan, and China.

"ASEAN should not just emphasize the meetings but also the socio-cultural pillars so that we can share the culture and tradition in our respective countries," Mari said. O001/HAJM

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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