Indonesia named as feature country in Canadian expo

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)