Indonesian president begins state tour to Europe

Sun, 13 Dec 2009

Jakarta - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left for a week-long tour to Europe Sunday that will include attendance at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark. Yudhoyono will visit Belgium, France and Germany to discussing efforts bilateral ties and to promote the climate change talks, presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said.

Accompanied by his wife and several cabinet ministers, Yudhoyono is scheduled to visit Brussels on December 14, Paris the following day and Germany on December 16, state-run Antara news agency said.

"The visit (to Europe) is long-awaited. In the past five years the president has several times planned to visit Europe but to no avail because he had to adjust his time," Djalal said.

In Brussels, the Indonesian leader will also hold talks with European Union President Jose Manuel Barroso on how to enhance relations between the 27-nation bloc and Indonesia.

In Copenhagen, Yudhoyono is scheduled to deliver a speech to the first session of the climate change conference, Djalal said.

He explained the presence of seven provincial governors in the entourage as designed to show the world that Indonesia is "serious in the field of forest conservation to reduce the level of global warming."