ASEM-TMM DISCUSSES CONCRETE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 27 (Antara) - Indonesia, which is hosting the 4th Asia Europe Meeting-Transport Ministers Meeting (ASEM-TMM) in Bali, plans to utilize the forum to concretize its ongoing cooperation projects and to offer new ones to its partner countries in the transportation sector.         As many as 12 projects were offered to investors during the bilateral meetings with representatives from nine countries, including Japan, China, Poland, Hungary, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.         On the first .day of the ASEM-TMM forum, Indonesian Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi was busy holding bilateral meetings with representatives of those countries.         The first bilateral meeting was held with the British Consultants to discuss cooperation of ships guide in the Malacca Strait. The British Consultants welcomed the idea of collaboration in vessel guides with European, Chinese, or Japanese.        "During the first discussion, I proposed to a team from Britain to create a collaboration with ships guide owned by Europe, China, and Japan, and they expressed their ability to do so," he noted.         Indonesia viewed the collaboration with various transportation stakeholders on the ship guide in the Malacca Strait as an initial step to influence and establish good relationships with shipping operators.