SINGAPORE TO OPEN CONSULATE IN BATAM

Batam, Aug 30 (ANTARA)- The Republic of Singapore is planning to open a consulate office in Batam, Riau Island province, on December 1, 2008, a Singapore minister said.
The opening of the consulate office is expected to further increase the two countries' relations in the fields of trade, health, tourism, people and administrations, Singapore Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan said here over the weekend.
The minister made the remarks during a celebration held here in connection with Singapore's 42nd anniversary.
Among officials attending the event were Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia Ashok Mirpuri, Riau Island Deputy Governor M Sani, Regional Legislative Assembly (DPRD) Chief Nur Syafriadi, Chairman of the Batam Industrial Development Authority Mustofa Wijaya and Batam Mayor Ria Saptarika.
Sadasivan said that the opening of the Singapore consulate office was also intended to support the implementation of Indonesia-Singapore cooperation in developing the Indonesian Special Economic Zone (KEKI) in Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands.
The Singapore minister said that in the framework of strategic cooperation signed between the two countries in Batam two years ago, the Indonesian trade minister and Singapore industry minister conducted a joint trade promotion in Japan recently on the investment opportunities in the KEKI.
Singapore's investment in Indonesia reached 3.75 billion US dollars which was the biggest foreign investment in the country in 2007.