RI-German forum reviews projects

JAKARTA (Agencies): The German-Indonesian Forum, grouping government and business leaders, reviewed a number of Indonesian economic projects in which German companies intend to take part.

Transportation and gas were two fields explored at the forum's meeting, which opened Saturday just before the arrival of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Indonesian Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto told reporters that German entrepreneurs have expressed an interest in taking part in the construction of the new Kuala Namu airport in Medan, North Sumatra, the expansion of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport, and the airport in Mataram, Lombok.

They are also keen to build the railway network for the express train services between Jakarta and Surabaya, Haryanto was quoted by Antara as saying.

The meeting is the second since the forum was established in April 1995 during President Soeharto's visit to Germany.

Indonesian ministers involved in the meeting on Saturday included Haryanto, Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro, Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, and Rahardi Ramelan, deputy chairman of the National Development Planning Board.

The Germans were represented by Economics Minister Gunter Rexrodt, Minister of Education, Research and Technology Jurgen Rutgers and Minister of Tourism, and Telecommunications Wolfgang Botsch.

Rexrodt told the forum that political stability is key to a favorable climate for investment, and that it was the duty of every government to establish and maintain a stable political framework for investment, DPA reported.

Rexrodt urged delegates to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the forum to promote cooperation between the economies of the two countries.

The forum focused on seven sectors, covering energy production and distribution, the automotive industry, oil and gas, steel, trade and services, banking and investment and human resources.

Some of the projects discussed might be realized soon because officials of the two countries are expected to sign a series of memoranda of understanding at the State Palace today.

Yesterday, Rexrodt signed a memorandum of understanding for three projects at the Bumi Serpong Damai industrial estate, west of Jakarta.

The director of the Germany-Indonesia Economic Association, Fritz Kleinsteuber, told AFP that a "multi-million dollar" industrial estate project at the site was being studied. (26/emb)