Boarding the presidential aircraft, the president and his entourage left Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 10 am on Saturday for Myanmar to attend the summit.
He was accompanied by a number of ministers, including Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for Peoples Welfare Agung Laksono, and Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa.
President Yudhoyono said this would be the final ASEAN Summit he attends before he ends his term of office in October 2014.
"This will be the last ASEAN Summit for me to attend, and the new president will attend the next one in November," President Yudhoyono noted.
Yudhoyono will convey his views on the development of ASEAN in the past ten years at the forum.
Officials said Yudhoyono hopes to see wider development of the ASEAN community, not only in terms of the economy, but also in politics and defense.
Presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, in a press statement on Friday, said that apart from discussing regional and international issues, the leaders at the ASEAN Summit will also present the report
made by ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh regarding the preparation of all ASEAN member states prior to the implementation of ASEAN Community 2015
Earlier, Secretary General to the United Cities and Local Governments in Asia Pacific, Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, called on the local governments in the ASEAN member countries to prepare themselves and their citizens for the start of the ASEAN Community by 2015.
"The ASEAN community will enable easier movement of people within the region. There must be a political will within the local government to prepare its citizens for the implementation of the community, so they can enjoy the benefits of integration, while also minimizing the risks," she emphasized.
(O001/INE)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
