RI, HUNGARY TO COOPERATE IN ANIMAL BREEDING AND EXCHANGE

London, Apr 22 (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Hungary will establish cooperation in an animal breeding loan program, Indonesian Ambassador to Hungary Mangasi Sihombing told a press conference in the East European country, Third Secretary for social and cultural affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Budapest Shinta Hapsari said Wednesday.

Shinta made the statement following a meeting between forestry officials of the two countries in Nyireghaza, Hungary, as both countries have vast zoological gardens.
The Indonesian ambassador said the meeting was to follow up on an agreement reached between the heads of state of the two countries in 2008 during a visit of Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom to Indonesia at the invitation of his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Also issuing statements to the press on that occasion were Forestry Ministry's forest protection and nature conservation director general Darori, Mayor of Nyireghaza Judit Csabai, and Laszlo Gajdos, Director General of the Nyireghaza Zoo.
Twenty percent of the operational cost of the Nyireghaza zoon is borne by the Nyireghaza regional administration which allocated 4,000 square meters for animals from Indonesian like orangutans, elephants and comodo giant dragons.
Indonesia, on the other hand, hoped to borrow a number of animals from Hungary.
The management of the Nyireghaza Zoo hoped in the first semester of 2009 the plot for Indonesian animals could be completed and inaugurated.
Last year, 700,000 foreign tourists came to Nyireghaza, Shinta said.