Indonesia named as feature country in Canadian expo

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has been named as a feature country in this year's Klondike Days Festival in Canada, giving a wider opportunity for Indonesia's traders to promote their products in the annual trade exhibition.

Djodjo Gozali, coordinator for Indonesian participation in the expo, said here on Wednesday that expo organizers had reserved 5,400 square meters of space for Indonesian participants.

He said that at least 50 local companies had confirmed their participation in the festival which will be held at Northlands park, in Edmonton, Canada from July 19 to July 28.

"As a feature country, Indonesia is provided with special rooms to exhibit the country's characteristics, such as its handicrafts, commodities, cultural diversities, food specialties during the festival." Djodjo said.

Klondike Days festival, previously called Edmonton Fair, has been held every summer in Canada since 1962. The fair was named after "Klondike" as remembrance to the gold-mining fever which struck the Klondike region at the end of the 1890s.

Every year the committee of the festival names a country to become its feature country. New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, Ukraine, Hungary, Mexico, Italy, Japan are among countries that have been appointed as a feature country for the festival in the past, which last year was attended by around 750,000 visitors.

Djodjo said that he expected Indonesian companies would be able to book transactions worth about US$2.5 million during the 10-day exhibition.

"We hope Indonesian companies will secure long-term business contracts during the exhibition," he said.

Last year, the value of Indonesia's exports to Canada rose slightly to $889 million from $864 million the previous year.

The country's main exports to Canada are electronics, rubber, apparel, furniture, footwear. (03)