Indonesia provides additional office building for ASEAN secretariat

Antara News, Sun, November 20 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Gesturing Indonesia`s commitment to ASEAN, Foreign Minister Dr Marty Natalegawa handed over keys of an additional office building for ASEAN Secretariat to ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

Some 30 years after donating the current Secretariat building at Jalan Sisingamangaraja, the Indonesian government had handed over another extension to the ASEAN Secretariat, to help ease the space crunch, the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat said in a press statement, here, Sunday.

Witnessed by more than a thousand delegates, as well as the local and international media gathered at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre, on Saturday, the two leaders expressed the hope that the new extension would not only facilitate the Secretariat - but also the entire ASEAN - to the next level of regional and international relevance.

"The provision of the extended premise reflects the importance the Government of Indonesia attaches to the role of the ASEAN Secretariat in enhancing the cooperation within ASEAN, and between ASEAN and external partners. It also emphasises the continued commitment of the Government of Indonesia to make Jakarta a diplomatic capital of the region," said Dr Marty.

Located just next to the ASEAN Secretariat, the new extension sits on a land area of 13,200 square meters, or slightly smaller than two soccer fields. Consisting of two buildings - four floors at the front, and eight floors at the back - the total build-up area is more than 21,000 square meters. The premises were previously occupied by the office of the Mayor of South Jakarta.

"As ASEAN gains importance, it also creates a lot of work for the Secretariat. It is the nerve centre which helps to co-ordinate the functions of all its parts. We have faced the space crunch for son many years, and we are delighted that the Indonesian government has come to our rescue," said Dr Surin.

ASEAN boasts of five members when it was founded in 1967. But as other Southeast Asian countries saw the potential and synergy of the regional group, others applied to join, and the ASEAN family grew in size. That growth also saw ASEAN maturing in importance, and it attracted Dialogue Partners, who felt they too had a stake at the grouping`s development.

Since its establishment in February 1976, the ASEAN Secretariat had operated out of Indonesia`s Foreign Ministry. The ASEAN Secretariat moved into its current premises in 1981. It was officially inaugurated by Indonesia`s former President Suharto on 9 May 1981.

Editor: Aditia Maruli