PRESIDENT TO OPEN 4TH ASIAN PARLIAMENTARY CONFAB IN BANDUNG

Jakarta, Dec 7 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to open General Assembly of the 4th Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Bandung, West Java on Tuesday morning (Dec 8).

The president and his entourage left Jakarta Monday for Bandung, the West Java provincial capital, Antara learned here on Monday.

On Tuesday noon, the head of state will plant trees in the framework of the national tree planting program every December
as one of the environmental conservation efforts.

Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) at the House of Representatives (DPR), Hidayat Nurwahid said the selection of Bandung as the location for the 4th APA General Assembly on December 7-10, is to revive the spirit of Bandung was the location of the Asian-African Conference.

Nurwahid said that the agenda of the session this time was economic social development and environmental approach that will be consistent with the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, 7-18 December.

"The public hearing will turn out a Bandung Declaration that is essentially striving that Asian countries can be respected internationally," he said.

At least 174 parliamentary representatives from 26 countries, four observer states and three parliamentary organizations
in Asia will take part in the General Assembly.

The Indonesian delegation consists of 12 members, namely two leaders of the House of Representatives, four from BKSAP Parliament, and six of the executive committee.