British industry and energy minister to visit Indonesia

British Minister for Industry and Energy Brian Wilson will visit Indonesia to identify new opportunities for British companies in the energy sector following a new Indonesia oil and gas law, the British embassy here said Monday.

The embassy said the minister's visit will highlight activities of UK companies in the energy sector and identify possible new opportunities in the light of the new oil and gas law.

Wilson is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Vice President Hamzah Haz and hold talks with Indonesian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro as well as several cabinet ministers and executives of the state oil and gas company Pertamina.

He will also meet the head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and leaders of the Indonesia and British business communities.

It will be the minister's first visit to Indonesia and he will fly back home on November 8.

Indonesia last month passed a new oil and gas law that ended Pertamina's 30-year contract monopoly and will eventually open up the domestic fuel market to foreign firms. (*)