Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s textile and garment exports in the first quarter of 2007 rose 17.5 percent from the same period in 2006 apparently due to restrictions the US imposed on import of similar goods from China, an industry spokesman said.

Talks on possible cooperation in the oil, gas and other energy sectors will provide the main focus for a South Korean trade delegation that will visit Indonesia next week. South Korean ambassador to Indonesia Lee Sun-Jin said Thursday in Jakarta that between 70 and 90 of the 190 delegates taking part in the trade mission were interested in discussing potential cooperation in the energy and mineral sectors.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Indonesian Telecommunications Regulation Agency (BRTI) has said it considers that foreign share ownership in the national telecommunications industry is very dilemmatic. Heru Sutadi, a BRTI member, said that the entry of foreign investment was necessary because the need of investment in this industry was extremely high. On the other hand, he said, foreign shares ownership is hampered by matters rlated to nationalism.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Stephen Schwartz, Senior Representative in Indonesia of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is confident that economic growth this year will reach six percent. Schwartz said he was satisfied with the performance of the Indonesia economic team. The IMF concluded that the Indonesian economy has improved compared to last year.

JAKARTA (AP): Indonesian shares hit a new record high, breaking an important 2,000 level Thursday, boosted by gains across Asian markets following Wall Street's rally overnight. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite index closed 29.362 points or 1.5 percent up to 2,016.033 in a trade where gainers trounced losers 138 to 49 with 52 stocks unchanged.

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali`s canned fish exports in the first quarter of this year increased 266.5 percent, the province`s trade and industry office said on Thursday. In the January-March period 2007, Bali exported 1,864 tons of canned fish worth US$2.6 million or up from 328 tons valued at US$724,696 in the same period in 2006, the office said in a report.