RI, Korea businessmen to meet

RI, Korea businessmen to meet

JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 Indonesian businesspeople will
hold talks with their South Korean counterparts in Seoul to
coincide with President Abdurrahman Wahid's two-day state visit
beginning on Thursday.

Soy M. Pardede, chairman of the trade department of the
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told reporters here
on Monday the upcoming meeting would provide a good opportunity
to launch new efforts to reinvigorate the two countries' economic
ties, which were adversely affected by the regional economic
crisis.

"Now that South Korea has been enjoying a robust recovery it
is well positioned to import more from Indonesia and even make
new investments through asset acquisitions," Pardede said.

He added that Indonesia could learn a great deal from South
Korea's success in emerging from its economic crisis in less than
two years.

"Korea posted an economic growth of 9 percent last year and
now has more than US$60 billion in foreign reserves," Pardede
said.

He said Indonesian Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang
Yudohoyono and Minister of Industry and Trade Jusuf Kalla would
take part in the business meeting.