French PM to meet Indonesian president to boost bilateral cooperation

French PM to meet Indonesian president to boost bilateralcooperation

JAKARTA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Franois Fillonis scheduled to come to Indonesia for a state visit followingIndonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's state visit to Parisin 2009, the Jakarta Post quoted an official as saying on Tuesday.

Fillon will visit in lieu of French President Nicolas Sarkozy,who was previously expected to come to Indonesia. Teuku Faizasyah,the President's spokesman for international affairs, said on Mondaythat Fillon was scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday and toreturn to France on Saturday. Fillon was expected to go to KalibataHeroes Cemetery, meet with Yudhoyono and attend a dinner banquet onJuly 1, he said. "(Fillon) and the president will discuss.. astrategic partnership agreement in numerous fields, with the mainfocus on strategic industries, trade and investment, includinginvestment on the infrastructure sector through the Master Plan forthe Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Growth(MP3EI)," he said, adding that Yudhoyono and Fillon were expected tosign the partnership during the visit.

The pair were also expected to ink bilateral agreements oneducation and tourism promotions, according to Faizasyah.

The so-called MP3EI was launched by President Yudhoyono beforehundreds of high-ranking officials and business executives in May.

The plan offers 17 new infrastructure projects worth 190 trillionrupiah (22.04 billion U.S. dollars), including developing nationwidebroadband Internet access, hydropower and solar power plants, modernsteel mills, a palm oil industry zone, access roads, toll roads,airports, dams, reservoirs, as well as nickel, cobalt and aluminumfacilities throughout economic corridors in islands of Sumatra, Javaand West Nusa Tenggara-Bali and Maluku-Papua.

Faizasyah said Fillon would also explore a possibility to helpIndonesia conserve its environment and implement REDD (reducingemission from deforestation and forest degradation) Plus programs.

REDD+programs include tree planting initiatives intended toincrease the absorption of carbon and slow global warming, accordingto the United Nations.