Legislators to visit Portugal

Legislators to visit Portugal

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives (DPR) will send a delegation to Portugal for the first time after East Timor's breakaway from Indonesia in 1999, reports say.

The visit is aimed at boosting ties between the two countries, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said at the DPR on Tuesday.

"We consider the visit to Portugal very important and therefore I myself will lead the delegation," Akbar, who will celebrate his 56th birthday on Tuesday, said as quoted by Antara.

There is no definite date on the visit to Portugal, but Akbar said that it will be soon.

Akbar said that House leaders had also decided that legislators would attend several international events, such as the International Parliament Organization (IPO) in Bangkok on Sept. 2 through Sept. 7, 2001.

The DPR will also send a delegation to the International Parliament Union (IPU) meeting in Burkinapase in Africa as well as a parliamentary meeting of countries in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OKI) in Morocco as well as a working visit to North Korea.