European visits to Indonesia

European visits to Indonesia

BRUSSELS: Several European countries have not yet issued any
travel warnings to their citizens intending to visit Indonesia
despite threats by radical groups to launch campaigns to expel
foreigners in retaliation for the U.S. plan to attack
Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, some governments in Europe, mainly those
contributing the largest number of tourists to Indonesia,
forewarned their citizens to avoid certain places considered
unsafe, according to Indonesian embassies in the Netherlands,
France, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Germany, for example, has
yet to identify any reason to advise against its citizens
visiting Indonesia.

The ministry informed that the Indonesian government would
take stern action against the hardline groups for causing
inconveniences.

"There's no need to be fearful of the situation. However, it
would be better to delay visiting Solo, Aceh, Pontianak, Poso and
Irian Jaya," Hartanti, a spokeswoman for the Indonesian Embassy
in Berlin, said as quoted by Antara on Thursday. -- Antara