PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO RECEIVES FORMER FINNISH PRESIDENT

Jakarta, Feb 23 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received visiting Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) Chairman Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of the Republic of Finland and the Nobel Peace Laureate, here on Monday.

The meeting between President Yudhoyono and Ahtisaari was held at VIP room of Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 8 local time in the morning before the Indonesian head of state left for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province 30 minutes later.
Before meeting with President Yudhoyono, the former Finnish President and the mediator of Aceh peace agreement met with Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Sunday to discuss the peace progress and political situation in Aceh province in the run up to April's general elections this year.
Ahtisaari was the negotiator of a peace talk between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) which led to the signing in Helsinki, Finland, on August 15, 2005.
Besides the meetings with the vice president and President Yudhoyono, Ahtisaari would also visit Aceh to obtain first-hand information on the implementation of the Helsinki peace agreement in the province.
In his previous statement, Ahtisaari said mutual understanding between the Indonesian government and GAM should continue to be maintained for a lasting peace in Aceh.
The Crisis Management Initiative is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes and works for sustainable security. It also works to strengthen the capacity of the international community in comprehensive crisis management and conflict resolution.