Prince Andrew promises to encourage more British bizmen to invest in RI

"Prince Andrew agrees that many more British businessmen should come to and invest in Indonesia," presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said at a press conference after a meeting between the prince and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the presidential office here on Thursday.

Dino said, during the 30-minute meeting, the President expressed hope that business relations between Indonesia and Britain would continue to increase as had happened in the past few years.

Britain invested a total of US$1.6 billion in 62 projects in Indonesia in 2007, making it the second biggest foreign investor country in the archipelagic nation. In the 1967-2006 period British investment in Indonesia totaled US$35 billion in 1,016 projects, Dino said.

President Yudhoyono expressed hope British investment would continue to increase in the future as the Indonesian government was also making continuous efforts to improve the country`s investment climate.

"Prince Andrew talked a lot about the investment climate and was very impressed by the transformation Indonesia has undergone in the past ten years, especially its democratization process, the political stability and economic growth it has achieved," Dino said.

The prince also ...