Indonesia to participate in world exhibition

Indonesia to participate in world exhibition

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has confirmed its participation in the
World Exhibition EXPO 2000 in Hanover, Germany, director of the
government-owned German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ)
Jakarta office, Oliver Auge, said on Wednesday.

Auge, who is here to promote the exposition, said Indonesia's
participation in EXPO 2000 would help the country mend its
damaged image.

"Indonesia's image has been tarnished in past years due to
some factors, including forest fires and riots. This (Indonesia's
participation) will be a good public relations effort," he said.

EXPO 2000 will feature at least 180 delegations of countries
and international organizations presenting their visions of human
kind, nature and technology in regard to the concept of
sustainable development.

The event will be held from June 1 to Oct. 31, 2000.

Andreas von Schumann, deputy director of the office for
country participation for EXPO 2000 said the Indonesian
government was now engaged in intensive activities of designing
and planning its presentation with GTZ, which was involved in the
preparation of the exposition on behalf of the German government.

"We are very glad to have Indonesia participating in the
exposition amid the economic crisis," he told journalists here on
Thursday.

"Due to the crisis it was difficult for Indonesia at the
beginning to confirm its participation in the exposition," he
added.

He said Indonesia planned to set up a pavilion of about 700
square meters. Each delegation will pay a rental space fee of
DM1,200 (about US$665) per square meter.

Separately, a senior official at the National Agency for
Export Development (NAFED) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade,
Edy Supardjono, said the economic crisis would not discourage
Indonesia from participating in foreign trade exhibitions.

He said Indonesian companies would join in 19 trade
exhibitions during the 1999/2000 fiscal year.

The crisis has also failed to stop local entrepreneurs from
promoting their businesses overseas, he added.

"There are a great number of entrepreneurs here who want to
participate in the exhibitions. There are so many of them that we
have to draw a selection due to the limited places available," he
was quoted by Antara as saying on Thursday.

Most of the exporters interested in the exhibitions are
producers of wood and rattan furniture and handicrafts, he said.

For 1999, the scheduled trade exhibitions include the ISPO '99
Summer Fair from Aug. 1 to Aug. 4 in Munich, Spoga-Gafa in
September and Anuga from Oct. 9 to Oct. 14 in Koln, Germany, the
Tong-Tong Fair in June in the Netherlands and the International
Furniture Fair in November in Brussels.

For the year 2000, Indonesia will participate in, among
others, the International Spring Fair from Feb. 12 to Feb. 16 in
Birmingham and the International Autumn Fair in early September
also in Birmingham, Britain. (cst)