Governor Sutiyoso leaves for Europe

Governor Sutiyoso leaves for Europe

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso left Jakarta on Monday night
for Turkey and Europe in a bid to strengthen the sister city
cooperation program with Jakarta, city administration's spokesman
Kamaludin Santos said on Tuesday.

During his two-week trip Sutiyoso is scheduled to attend
several meetings, including signing a letter of intent on trade,
tourism and art and culture in Istanbul, Turkey; paying a
courtesy call to Rotterdam Mayor H.J. Simons and attending the
Asia-Pacific Metropolitan Conference in Berlin, Germany,
Kamaludin said.

"Sutiyoso's visit to Berlin is also aimed at fulfilling the
invitation from the city's mayor, Eberhard Diepgen," he said.

Antara reported on Monday that in Berlin Sutiyoso is scheduled
to make a comparative study on transportation and waste
management at the transportation and sanitary companies in
Berlin.

"The governor will also sign a "Golden Book" at the City
Hall," the news agency quoted a source at the Indonesian Consul
General in Berlin as saying.

Sutiyoso will also meet Indonesians living in the city, the
source said.

Kamaludin said that during the journey Sutiyoso is being
accompanied by former head of the city's bureau for intercity and
regional cooperation, Robert P. Silalahi, and one of the
governor's adjutants.

Commenting on the governor's trip amid the economic crisis,
City Council head of the United Development Party faction, Achmad
Suaidy, head of the Golkar faction, Fatommy Asaari, and head of
the Indonesian Democratic Party faction, Lukman Mokoginta,
expressed the hope that the trip would result in an increase in
the number of investors coming to Jakarta.

"The economic crisis does not mean that our governor should be
narrow-minded. I think this trip will benefit the city in the
long run in that it will attract more investors," Fatommy said.

About Rp 300 million (US$37,500) has been earmarked from the
1998/1999 city budget for the governor's official travels. (ind)