Norway interested in Natuna
Norway interested in Natuna
JAKARTA (JP): Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland
told President Soeharto yesterday that her country is interested
in taking part in the US$40 billion natural gas extraction
project in the Natuna islands near Singapore.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said that through its prime
minister, Norway had expressed a desire to participate in the
huge project.
"Both leaders agreed that further studies are needed to
investigate the options for Norway's involvement in the project,"
Moerdiono said.
While President Soeharto and Prime Minister Brundtland were
holding talks, Indonesian and Norwegian ministers and officials
held a parallel meeting to exchange views and discuss ways of
expanding bilateral economic ties.
"Indonesia and Norway are in agreement about the need to
expand their economic and trade cooperation," Moerdiono said,
adding that Norway could provide expertise and technology in the
petroleum, electricity, ship-building and timber industries.
The Norwegian prime minister and her husband Arne Olav
Brundtland, accompanied by several ministers and businessmen,
arrived here on Sunday for a two-day official visit after
spending the weekend in Yogyakarta.
Later yesterday, Brundtland told a luncheon with Indonesian
businessmen that Norwegian businesses were increasing their
presence here and in Asia as a whole and that "her government
wholeheartedly supports and encourages this trend."
"The business sectors included in our Asia strategy are oil
and gas, environmental technology, shipping, hydropower and
information technology," she said.
She added that Norwegian companies, such as Kvaerner and Aker,
could be valuable suppliers of platforms and other equipment for
the Natuna gas project.
"Most of the world's biggest offshore platforms have been
built by Norwegian companies," Brundtland added.
Indonesia's state-owned oil company Pertamina and Exxon Corp.
of the United States signed an agreement last November to carry
out the multi-billion dollar project in the Natuna gas fields.
Council
The business luncheon, hosted by the Indonesian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, also inaugurated the Norwegian-Indonesian
Business Council, which will serve as a forum for further
expanding business ties between the two countries.
"We hope to further promote strategic alliances between
Indonesian and Norwegian businesses," said the chamber's Vice
President Iman Taufik in welcoming the establishment of the
business forum yesterday.
Brundtland's schedule yesterday included meetings with State
Minister for Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and
State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, as well
as a state banquet hosted in her honor by the President and Mrs.
Tien Soeharto at the State Palace.
She witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on
energy cooperation by Norwegian Minister of Energy and Industry
Jens Stoltenberg and Indonesian Acting Minister of Mines and
Energy Moerdiono.
Brundtland was also present at the signing ceremony for a
joint-venture agreement between Kvaerner Engineering of Norway
and PT Bakrie & Brothers of Indonesia.
The joint-venture company, PT Bakrie Kvaerner Engineering,
will operate in project management and engineering, notably in
the oil and natural gas industry.
Today, the Norwegian prime minister is scheduled today to meet
with State Minister for Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, to
attend a seminar on Norwegian environmental management and
technology and to visit the Indonesia-in-Miniature park in East
Jakarta.
Brundtland and her entourage will leave Indonesia tomorrow
morning for Singapore.(vin)
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