ASEAN countries to help promote Bali

Tiarma Siboro and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Following the terror attacks in Bali, which have severely crippled tourism there, ambassadors from Southeast Asian countries vowed on Wednesday to join efforts to promote Bali as a tourist destination.

ASEAN ambassadors to Indonesia told Bali Governor Dewa Made Bharata on Wednesday that their countries would not issue travel advisories on Indonesia, moreover Bali, to their citizens.

"We have also said that our governments are ready to cooperate with Indonesia to promote Bali, so that it will become once again the country's number one tourist destination," Singapore Ambassador to Indonesia Edward Lee said after the meeting.

Lee, however, did not elaborate on how ASEAN countries would work together to promote Bali.

Lee, nevertheless, said that the recovery of tourism in Bali would also very much depend on the efforts of the Indonesian government as well as the Bali administration to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the island.

He said that the ambassadors also advised the governor on how to make Bali safe and attractive again to tourists.

"We believe that the people of Bali have a very strong spirit to make this recovery," Lee told reporters after the meeting.

Also present at the meeting were Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Dang Quang, Brunei Ambassador Mohd. Amil Abdul Rahim, Lao Ambassador Leuane Sombounkham, Myanmar Ambassador Kyaw Myint, Philippine Ambassador Rafel E. Seguis and senior diplomats from Malaysia and Thailand.

Ambassador Seguis, meanwhile, said that the Philippine government had been working closely with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to address the problem of terrorism.

Seguis said that Manila would host a regional meeting on terrorism sometime in November to discuss effective measures to combat terrorists operating in the region.