Portuguese experts are here

Portuguese experts are here

JAKARTA (JP): A group of Portuguese experts arrived here on
Friday to help preserve Portuguese heritage in the country, an
executive said on Saturday.

Joao Pedro Garcia, director of the international department of
the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which focuses on preserving
Portuguese heritage worldwide, said the group of three experts
would be in Indonesia for one week.

"It's an initial step that we just visit all heritage sites
here," Garcia said after a discussion with city officials
represented by, among others, head of the Jakarta Historical
Museum Tinia Budiati and head of the Textile Museum Dewi Rudiati.

During their visit, the group, which includes architect Joao
Campos and adviser of the National Museum of Ancient Art in
Lisbon Maria Helena, Mendes Pinto, will visit Jepara in Central
Java, Yogyakarta and Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara.

Garcia said he had yet to decide on the next step to be taken
after the first visit.

In a move to improve Portuguese-Indonesian relations,
Portuguese Ambassador Ana Gomes said last month that her
government would assist with the preservation of its colonial
heritage here.

However, information on the number of Portuguese heritage
sites has been unavailable up to Saturday. (ind)