RI to join Canada festival

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will take part in the annual trade festival in Edmonton, the capital city of Canada's Alberta province from July 19 to July 28.

Indra Abidin, chief of the Indonesian delegation, said on Friday that the participation in the so-called "Klondike Days Exposition" was mainly aimed at luring more Canadian investors and tourists to Indonesia.

"This is a rare opportunity, it's an honor for Indonesia to participate in the festival," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said that the Indonesian delegation would consist of several large companies, small and medium enterprises, and provincial administrations. He did not provide details.

Ken Lewis, a senior officer at the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta, said that trade between Indonesia and Canada stood at about US$ 1.6 billion last year, making Indonesia Canada's largest trade partner in southeast Asia.

He added that Canadian investment in Indonesia reached US$8 billion last year.(05)