President To Meet Malaysian PM In Lombok Oct 20

Mataram (Antara Bali) - The West Nusatenggara (NTB) provincial government has started preparing the venue and other matters of a meeting scheduled to take place between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and  Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak next October 20 in Lombok Island.

"We have begun making all the necessary preparations because we have received official confirmation that the special meeting between the Indonesian and Malaysian leaders is to be held in Lombok Island on Ocober 20,"  H Lalu Moh Faozal, spokesman of the NTB provincial administration, said here Thursday.

The Malaysian premier was expected to arrive at Lombok Island by a special plane straight from Kuala Lumpur at noon on Thursday (Oct 20) and his meeting with the Indonesian president would be held in the evening of the same day. Najib would return to Malaysia the next day, Friday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be in Lombok Island  October 19-21. Apart from meeting Najib, Yudhoyono would also attend to other matters in Lombok Island.

He would officially inaugurate Mataram's new airport named Lombok International Airport (BIL) which started operating last October 1, and officiate at a groundbreaking ceremony for NTB's newest tourism project,  the Manadalika Resort.

Faozal said the special meeting with the Malaysian premier would staged at the Novtel Hotel in the Mandalika Resort, Central Lombok district, about 70 km south of Mataram but only 30 km from Lombok International Airport.(*)