PRESIDENT OPENS FIRST STOCK TRADING SESSION OF 2010

Jakarta, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the first share trading session at the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 2010 here Monday.

Flanked by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, right at 9.30am the head of state pushed a button to mark the opening of share trading which was closed at 2,534 at the end of trading last year.

"Our capital market performance gives us pride increasing 87 percent. We must be grateful as it was achieved in the midst of world crisis," he said.

President Yudhoyono hoped businesses, capital market players and the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) management could work better to make this year's trading improve further.

Minister Sri Mulyani meanwhile said people should be happy with the performance of the BEI last year because it was the best in the Southeast Asian region and the second best in the Asia Pacific.

"The trust and stability were maintained because of the quick and correct policy and constant communications that the government had taken to deal with the crisis," she said.

After the opening the BEI index rose 16 percent to 2,550.

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