Message from the EuroCham Chairman

Message from the EuroCham Chairman

This month marks the first anniversary of EuroCham, the European
Business Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. Funded by a number of
major European companies, the national European Business
Associations in Indonesia and including Indonesian partners with
links to Europe, Eurocham gives some 1000 European companies
operating in Indonesia a distinctly European voice.

Over the last five years Indonesia's two-way trade with the EU
held steady at a solid 14 billion euros, making the EU the second
most important export market for Indonesia. However there is a
lot to be done to consolidate these relations and EuroCham
believes that Indonesia has the potential to become much more
than a resource base for its major trading partners to bring on
the added value to tackle global markets.

European companies are eager to invest in Indonesia; to bring
in capital, technology and expertise and make the best use of
Indonesia's unique advantages on account of its large internal
market and its strategic position. Indonesia can exploit fully
the opportunities of the wide open market of the enlarged
European Union, which will soon comprise 500 million customers.

European business has been a long-standing and loyal partner
in Indonesia's development and EuroCham is pleased to announce
that it will organize a European Infrastructure Forum on 12 May
in Jakarta that will contribute to increase European investors'
presence in the country.

Jean-Frangois Fichaux