President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left Jakarta on Sunday, March 3 for a week-long state visit to both Germany and Hungary. The visit to Germany was on invitation of German President Joachim Gauch, the President told the press. During his visit to the German Federal Republic, the President and attending Ministers will follow up the Jakarta Declaration that was agreed upon during the visit of Chancellor Angela Merkel to Jakarta last year, said President Yudhoyono.

On the agenda are eight focal points to boost bilateral cooperation, including economic matters, education, research and technology, health, and security. Additionally there will be discussions on food security, energy, and transportation.

During the visit to Germany, President Yudhoyono will, together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, officiate the Grand Opening of ITB Berlin 2013 on March 5, the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. Indonesia is this year’s ITB Official Partner Country.

At Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in Jakarta before his departure, President Yudhoyono said that with this opportunity he intends to strongly promote tourism to Indonesia, considering that compared to its neighbors, Singapore and Thailand and also China, Indonesia still lags behind in tourism arrivals.

As Partner Country, Indonesia has prepared an elaborate Opening Night to welcome some 4,500 invitees that include dignitaries and decision makers of the world’s travel and tourism industry. Special cultural teams have been flown to Berlin to enthrall the audience with dances and music from Aceh to Papua, both traditional and modern, while a sumptuous dinner awaits at the end of the presentation that will include Padang beef rendang, Satay, and a host of culinary dishes. Master chefs from Indonesia have been especially flown in to prepare the evening meal.

For detailed information on Indonesia’s participation at ITB Berlin 2013, including cultural presentations, the Indonesia pavilion, and participants, please log on to www.indonesia.travel/highlight/itb-berlin .