Danish environment and energy ministers due here

Danish environment and energy ministers due here

JAKARTA (JP): Danish Minister for Environment and Energy Svend Auken, in a bid to strengthen economic ties with Indonesia, will make an official eight day visit to Indonesia starting Thursday.

The minister, who will be visiting at the invitation of the Ministers of Environment, Forestry and Mines and Energy, will be accompanied by a delegation of 60 business people.

According to a statement issued by the Danish Embassy in Jakarta which was made available to The Jakarta Post yesterday, it is the largest Danish delegation ever to visit Indonesia.

The mission, which is an exclusive one to Indonesia, will start in Medan, North Sumatra, and will include visits to a Danish grant-financed project in the wood and rattan industry, the Belawan Power Plant, the Leuser National Park and Lake Toba.

Members of the delegation, consisting of business people from leading Danish companies operating in the sectors of environment, energy and forestry, will speak in a seminar on Monday to present the latest expertise and technology in their respective fields.

The seminar will cover topics such as the utilization of renewable energies, steam-based energy systems, municipal waste incineration and air-cleaning technologies.

The seminar will end in a joint session on Danish project financing, export credit, soft financing and joint-venture financing.

Auken is scheduled to meet with State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

Auken will also make a courtesy call to President Soeharto.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesian exports to Denmark during the January-August 1995 period reached US$74 million, while imports from that country were $68 million. (pwn)