PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO CALLS ON PEOPLE TO STRENGTHEN UNITY

Jakarta, Feb 6 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the people here on Friday to strengthen their unity and cohesion to develop a respectable nation.

He made the call in his speech made at the commemoration of "Cap Go Meh Imlek 2560", a Chinese traditional commemoration to mark the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, at JI Expo Kemayoran.
"Let us strengthen and reinforce our unity by respecting, caring and helping each other," he said.
The President clad in a red outfit, the dominant color in the celebration, said if the Indonesian people would really unite they with God's blessing would certainly be able to achieve their aspirations becoming an advanced nation.
"Indonesia is a big country of a big nation of various backgrounds with a vast territory, a great history and rich natural resources. If we are not united, not divided and not blaming each other we will become not only a strong but also an advanced, prosperous, respected and respectable nation," he said.
On the occasion President Yudhoyono also called on the people to be thankful to God for the national life that kept improving and promising.
He said as a plural country Indonesia had various traditional commemorations of new years such as the Caka, Islamic Hijriah, the Calendar and Chinese new year.
"All the commemorations are expressions of gratitude and spirit to develop our beloved nation," he said while calling on all the Indonesian communities to continue to develop art and cultural traditions and creative culture-based economy.
Thousands of people mostly ethnic Chinese attended the event, along with several cabinet ministers.