Indonesia to arrange air transportation for AAC participants

... that preparations are 95 percent ready, which means we are almost well-prepared...

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has lined up three to four aircraft owned by the national airline of Indonesia, PT Garuda Indonesia, to transport a number of participants of the Asia-Africa Summit from Jakarta to Bandung.

"We have arranged three or four planes owned by PT Garuda Indonesia," Presidential Chief of Staff Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said here on Friday.

He remarked that some four or five heads of state will be taking private planes, added that parking place will be arranged for the aircraft. "It will be managed by Indonesia Air Force officers," he stated.

According to Luhut, there will be rehearsals before the 60th Anniversary of the Asian-African Conference in Jakarta starts, right from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport to Jakarta Convention Center.

Until Friday morning, he noted, some 31 heads of state confirmed to attend the event.

Regarding the bilateral meeting, he said there will be 18 bilateral meetings in Jakarta.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo assessed that preparations for the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java, are progressing well to receive guests for the event that begins next week.

"I see that preparations are 95 percent ready, which means we are almost well-prepared," Joko Widodo told reporters after reviewing the Gedung Merdeka Bandung, which will be used for the conferences commemoration, Thursday afternoon.

The President pointed out that a few more tasks need to be done, such as paintings and flower arrangements.

"So far we have observed preparations starting from Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in Jakarta. From Halim to Bandungs Husein Sastranegara airport, we have checked everything," the President added.

After arriving at Bandungs Husein Sastranegara Airport, the President visited Savoy Homan Hotel to inspect preparations there, before proceeding to Gedung Merdeka.

Besides checking the main hall of Gedung Merdeka, the President also inspected other rooms, including restrooms, and arrangements.

At Gedung Merdeka, the President briefly greeted an Angklung team from Padjadjaran University and the Music Corps of the Siliwangi military command.

After checking Gedung Merdeka, the President walked to the Great Mosque of Bandung and offered afternoon prayers. He also reviewed preparations at the mosque where Friday prayers will be held for heads of state during the AAC next week.

The delegation then headed to Gedung Pakuan, which will be the AAC guests luncheon venue.

"We checked the hotels and

Gedung Merdeka. I looked at decorations in the city and 95 percent is done. We will need a little more flower arrangements. I also checked toilets in the hotels and they are 95 percent ready," President Joko Widodo remarked.

The President was accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno P Marsudi, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, State Secretary Pratikno, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, the Indonesian Army Commander Moeldoko, Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil, and West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan.

The entourage reviewed a number of locations to be used for events organized to mark the Asian-African Conferences 60th anniversary in Bandung, West Java.