Indonesia provides BMWs for ASEM delegates

All ministers participating in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Denpasar, Bali, will be able to enjoy the comfort of traveling in new-model BMWs.

PT BMW Indonesia will lend 30 new BMW 5-series cars to the Indonesian government, which will host the forum next week on the resort island.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda will on Monday officially receive the keys of the luxury cars.

Of the BMW armada, 15 are 530i models, with the remainder 520is, PT BMW Indonesia said in a media statement on Friday.

Although it was not immediately clear whether the government had paid a "loan fee" for use of the cars, which are worth more than Rp 500 million (US$61,000) each, the foreign ministry official stressed that it had not bought the cars.

"They are being provided by BMW Indonesia, who have even trained the drivers," the official told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The ASEM meeting will run from July 22 through July 24 in Bali, and will be attended by ministers from more than 10 countries in Asia and Europe. -- JP