Beautification efforts focus on state palace

The State Palace on Monday was the center of a cleanup effort in the lead up to the scheduled state visit of US President Barrack Obama on Tuesday.

Several workers were seen busily adorning giant picture frames, expected to display pictures of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and visiting dignitaries. The 5-meter frames were being decorated with colorful fabric and flowers, Antara reported on Monday.

Besides Obama, Austrian President Heinz Fischer is also scheduled to conduct his inaugural visit on Wednesday.

Some street sweepers were seen collecting trash from the park around the State Palace building, while others were assigned to groom its gardens.

Dozens of Indonesian and American flags have been hoisted along main roads around the palace, including on Jl. Ir H. Juanda.

According to the latest schedule, Obama will be in Jakarta on Nov. 9 and 10, and will visiting several locations around the capital, including the University of Indonesia campus in Depok, West Java, the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery (TMP) in South Jakarta and the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta.

From Indonesia, Obama is scheduled will continue his journey to South Korea and Japan to attend the G20 Summit in Seoul and the APEC Summit in Yokohama.