Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Deputy Governor of Jakarta Rano Karno has proposed that the ASEAN Secretariat building in South Jakarta be opened to the public to serve as an educational destination, especially for students.

“There’s a desire for the ASEAN Secretariat to be accessible to the public. There’s a museum inside, and our children could learn about ASEAN,” he said during Jakarta’s 498th anniversary launch event in Blok M, as reported by antaranews.com on Saturday (24/5/2025).

Deputy Governor Rano admitted he had never entered the building, describing it as "very closed off" to the public.

He expressed hope that the ongoing revitalization project Blok M Hub could bridge the area to the ASEAN Secretariat and turn it into a vibrant public space.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Nararya Sanggramawijaya Soeprapto welcomed the proposal, noting the building has hosted over 1,600 national and international meetings in the past year.

“We appreciate the city administration’s ongoing support in promoting ASEAN through initiatives like the Blok M Hub,” he said.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)