Originally Posted By: Reuters Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu has met his Australian counterpart, Warren Truss, to flag her concerns. He? Mari Pangestu is SO OFTEN in Australia - visiting her son who attends Geelong Grammar School - that perhaps she could directly tell Australians not to worry about corruption, red-tape and security in Indonesia.

The absence of a direct flight between China and the Indonesian famous resort island of Bali has hampered the government's effort to boost arrivals from China, an official said Monday. Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia serves routes to Chinese cities but has no direct flight between China and Bali as its planes have to make a stopover in Jakarta, said I Gede Nurjaya (rpt. I Gede Nurjaya), the head of the Bali provincial tourism office.

Indonesia welcomes foreign investment in petrochemical industry Muhammad Lutfi, chairman of Indonesia's Investing Coordinating Board, said here Monday that foreign investors would be particularly welcome in the area of downstream value-adding derivatives in the petrochemical industry. He made the announcement on the sideline of World Economic Forum on East Asia which opened Sunday in Singapore.

Following a recommendation from a joint expert group consisting of prominent business figures and academics from Indonesia and Australia, the two countries appear likely to now conduct a feasibility study on a free trade agreement (FTA).

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Rajawali Corporation Group is to invest US$300 million - US$400 milion in the plantation and mining sectors after calling off its bid to become a strategic investor in national flag-carrier PT Garuda Indonesia, a spokesman said.

Indonesia has urged Australia to lift a travel advisory on the country, saying it could hamper commercial ties between the two countries at a time when they are trying to hammer out a free trade pact. The Federal Government has cautioned Australians about travelling to Indonesia, including Bali, due to terrorist threats. Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu has met his Australian counterpart, Warren Truss, to flag her concerns.