Jokowi Attends ASEAN-SOUTH Korea Summit

Busan, S Korea, Dec 12 (Antara) - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is attending the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-South Korea Dialog Summit, here, Friday. The president arrived at the summit`s venue at 9:10 am local time and was greeted by South Korean President Park Geun-hye. This year, the summit`s theme is "Building Trust, Bringing Happiness". Park earlier described the multilateral summit as "an important conference" to lay out a blue print for cooperation among South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to Yonhap news agency. The two-day summit is designed to boost the strategic partnership with ASEAN on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue between South Korea and ASEAN, according to Park`s office. ASEAN is South Korea`s No. 2 investment destination and second-largest trade partner, with two-way trade amounting to $135 billion last year. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Jokowi, arrived at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday, after a 6.5-hour flight from Jakarta`s Halim Perdanakusuma military airbase. The president is on a three-day working visit to South Korea until Friday to attend the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-South Korean relations and several bilateral meetings. During the visit, President Jokowi is accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Economy Sofian Djalil, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya, Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Yuddy Chrisnandi, and Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi. On Thursday, Jokowi conducted an inspection of the activities at the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in Busan, South Korea. The president, popularly known as Jokowi, inspected the ship replica exhibition room and received information from the DSME officers. Jokowi lauded the ship-building technology implemented in DSME. The DSME is collaborating with PAL Ltd. Co. for developing three submarines, which were ordered by Indonesia, at a total investment of US$250 million. "Two submarines will be built in South Korea, while another one will be built in Indonesia," Norman remarked. The Chang Bogo-class submarines are expected to be delivered to Indonesia in 2017 and 2018, which will help to increase Indonesia`s naval fleet to five submarines. Currently, Indonesia is operating two submarines that were made in Germany in 1981.