South Korea To Fund Construction Of batam-Bintan Bridge

Batam, Riau Islands, Dec 28 (ANTARA) - South Korea`s Ambassador to Indonesia, Kim Young Sun, has stated that Korea has plans of funding the construction of a bridge that will connect two free-trade areas, Batam and Bintan islands. "This bridge will boost the economic growth of Batam and Bintan. Therefore, Korea has plans of funding the construction of the bridge," said Kim, after a meeting with the Head of the Batam Concession, Mustofa Widjaja, on Thursday. However, the Ambassador also said there have not been discussions regarding the amount of money that will be spent on the construction of the bridge. "We haven`t talked about the budget, but we will talk about it soon," he stated. Kim further stated that in early 2013, a team from Korea will assess the feasibility of the construction of the Batam-Bintan bridge. Meanwhile, Mustofa Widjaja said there is a possibility that the Batam-Bintan bridge project will be handled by other parties, since there has not been a written agreement between Korea and Indonesia. "We are keen on talking to other parties with regard to the construction of the Batam-Bintan bridge. So, it is possible that Korea will not be only party financing the project," he stated. "The bridge will be 6.7 km long, and it will connect the free-trade areas of Batam and Bintan, and two other islands: Tanjungsauh and Buau," he added. Earlier, the Sub Director of Public Relations and Publications at the Batam Concession, Ilham Eka Hartawan, said Kim Young Sun and several South Korean businessmen have talked about the eco-friendly sewage disposal system in Batam. "An agreement with regard to the `Waste Water Treatment� has been signed. However, for the construction of the bridge, Korea still needs to review the funding and the feasibility of the project," he explained. The South Korean Ambassador and several delegations were accompanied by the Director of Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), Choi Sung Ho, and the Director of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), Lee Woon Chang.