Dutch FM arrives in Jakarta

Dutch FM arrives in Jakarta

JP/P.J. Leo

The Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Bot (left)
and Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Ruud Treffers (right) enter a
hotel in South Jakarta. Bot, who was born in Batavia (Jakarta's
former name) in 1937, arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday for three
days of talks with Indonesian officials on bilateral relations,
counterterrorism and the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
During his stay, Bot is scheduled to meet with his Indonesian
counterpart Hassan Wirayuda and the country's two presidential
candidates -- incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri and
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He will also address a seminar at the
Centre for Strategic and International Studies on Thursday. Retno
Marsudi, Director of West European Affairs at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, told The Jakarta Post that although ASEM was not
the main focus of the Dutch minister's visit, Bot and Hassan were
expected to discuss the organization of the October meeting in
Hanoi. -- JP