Dutch envoy to visit Aceh

The new Dutch ambassador to Indonesia Nikolaos van Dam will visit Aceh next week to see the progress in the implementation of the peace agreement between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels as well as the ongoing reconstruction work, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta said.

"Furthermore his visit marks the continued support of the Netherlands government for the government of Indonesia's rehabilitation and reconstruction program for Aceh and North Sumatra," the embassy said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post.

Aceh was devastated by the deadly earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26 last year, while the island of Nias was hit by a massive earthquake in March this year.

Ambassador Van Dam will arrive in Aceh on Monday and return to Jakarta on Wednesday.

In Banda Aceh, Van Dam will meet the director of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Executing Agency for Aceh and Nias (BPRR) Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) Pieter Feith -- a Dutch citizen -- and Aceh's acting governor Azwar Abubakar. He will also meet representatives of UN agencies, OCHA, the World Bank and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra (MDTFANS) as well as non- governmental agencies.

According to the release, the Netherlands has granted 40 million euro (US$50 million) in emergency aid and will grant up to 200 million euro ($250 million) for reconstructing tsunami- affected areas in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It has provided $100 million to the MDTFANS. --JP