Computers for museums

JAKARTA (JP): Following up on a sister city agreement signed in September, the Rotterdam Mayor Ivo W. Opstelten has contributed four sets of computers and a photocopier to museums in Jakarta.

The donations were handed over symbolically by Dutch Ambassador Baron Schelto van Heemstra, to the head of the City Museum and Conservation Agency, Robert P. Silalahi, on Thursday.

"I'm very impressed with the enthusiasm of these people. We'll do what we can do. We're willing to cooperate and to establish links with museums in the Netherlands," the envoy said.

Rotterdam is among several of Jakarta's "sister cities" based upon agreements that encompass various cooperation programs.

The computers will be donated to the Maritime Museum, the Jakarta Historical Museum, the Puppet Museum, and the Arts and Ceramics Museum, while the photocopier will be given to the Jakarta Historical Museum.

The Mayor and Governor Sutiyoso have signed an accord covering three main areas to maintain their sister-city agreement.

The accord covers management information systems, waste and river management, and the revitalization of the city's older sections in the Sunda Kelapa area of West Jakarta, and will be effective for four years from 2001.

The sister city agreement between the two cities started in 1986 and there have been several projects undertaken over the years. (07)