Indonesia Sets Up Cultural Center In Timor Leste

Dili, Timor Leste, Aug 27 (Antara) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono laid a cornerstone to mark the construction of a building that will be used as a cultural center in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, here on Wednesday. The building will be 5.7 thousand square meters wide comprising four floors and a basement and its construction worth Rp90 billion is expected to be completed by October 2015. The center will have a "Smart House", an exhibition room, amphitheater, library, mini-theatre, computer laboratory, a meeting hall, and also a coffee shop. The ceremony was attended by Timor Leste President Taur Mata Ruak and First Lady Isabel Da Costa Ferreira, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and former foreign minister Mari Alkatiri. Indonesia`s Education Minister M. Nuh stated on the occasion that the center will serve as a bridge for improving understanding, trust, and respect between the two countries. In the meantime, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao expressed hope that the center will further strengthen the relations between the two countries. "I hope that it will deepen the relations and increase the prosperity of the two countries in the future," he affirmed. President Yudhoyono and President Taur Matan Ruak planted trees in the front yard of the building to mark its development. President Yudhoyono, on the occasion, also donated more than ten thousand trees, including raintree, for planting in that country. First Lady Ani Yudhoyono also accompanied President Yudhoyono during the visit.