Canada, RI to open air link

Canada, RI to open air link

JAKARTA (JP): Canada and Indonesia agreed yesterday to open air links between the two countries in the near future.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation, Bambang Ervan, said that a preliminary accord was reached here yesterday during a meeting between Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and his Canadian counterpart, Douglas Young.

"As a following step Garuda Indonesia, the country's flag carrier, will be assigned to look for the best route to Canada. Garuda may select, for instance, Jakarta-Hong Kong-Vancouver or Jakarta-Hong Kong-Toronto routes," Bambang said.

He said that the two countries will sign a number of agreements, including an air accord, when Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien visits Indonesia early next year.

Young arrived here yesterday for a five-day visit. The minister, leading a business delegation representing a number of Canadian transport firms, is scheduled to deliver a speech at a business luncheon today, before visiting the country's aircraft assembler PT IPTN in Bandung, West Java. (icn)