Australia sends large mission to mining expo
Australia sends large mission to mining expo
JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 Australian companies will take
part in the Indonesian Mining '97 exhibition at the Kemayoran
Fairgrounds, Central Jakarta, making the country the largest
foreign participant at the exhibition.
The senior trade commissioner at the Australian Embassy, Bruce
Wallace, said yesterday the exhibition would include 1,200
companies from 25 countries with 106 companies from Australia,
including 95 mining-related companies and 11 power-related firms.
The exhibition will be opened this morning and will last until
Nov. 8.
Other participating countries are the United States, Germany,
South Africa, Canada, Britain and Italy.
Wallace said the presence of a large number of Australian
mining-related companies at the exhibition underlined the
interest and commitment of the Australian mining industry in
deepening its relationship with Indonesia.
"As far as mining is concerned, Australia sees Indonesia as
the most important partner in the world," Wallace said at a press
conference.
He said the 95 companies were seeking business opportunities
in Indonesian mining, including prospects of a joint venture,
selling mining equipment and services.
The embassy's trade commissioner, Jennie Lloyd, noted that
Australian companies were among the biggest foreign investors in
Indonesian mining.
Australian companies operating in Indonesia include Rio Tinto
Ltd, which has a stake in coal-mining company PT Kaltim Prima
Coal in East Kalimantan, and gold mining companies PT Kelian
Equatorial Mining in East Kalimantan and PT Indo Muro Kencana in
Central Kalimantan.
She said investment in Indonesian mining accounted for about
one-third of total Australian investment worth US$6.3 billion as
of March.
Australia has only sent 11 power-related companies to the
exhibition, but Lloyd was optimistic that the companies would
find business opportunities there.
"Australian companies' expertise in the electricity field is
already well-known in Indonesia and throughout Asia," she said.
(jsk)