SBY begins Europe tour with big entourage

SBY PRESIDENCY. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono commenced Sunday morning his week-long trip to four European countries, travelling around the western part of the European mainland before heading north to attend the climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Yudhoyono, along with his more than 140-member entourage, which includes several Cabinet ministers, governors and journalists, was scheduled to arrive in Belgium on Sunday evening local time (Monday pre-dawn Jakarta time) before continuing to France, Germany and, finally, Denmark.

The President’s entourage had a stopover on Sunday in Dubai.

He will meet with European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels, to discuss efforts to enhance economic cooperation between Indonesia and the European Union (EU).

“I will explain Indonesia’s development plans for the next five years and offer the EU partnership opportunities. We will also talk about the climate change issues,” Yudhoyono said of his planned meeting with Barroso while briefing the entourage aboard the flight from Jakarta to Belgium.

From Belgium, the President will fly to Paris to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and discuss a number of issues ranging from economy and climate change to democracy and good governance.

Yudhoyono will then fly to Berlin and meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and talk about similar issues to those with Sarkozy.

The President is also scheduled to give a public lecture on economy, democracy and climate change in Berlin.(The Jakarta Post)