SBY to open 3rd Bali Democracy Forum on Thursday

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the 3rd Bali Democracy Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday. The forum will be attended by participants from 71 countries.

With proceedings on Thursday and Friday, the forum will be co-chaired by Indonesia and South Korea, with four heads of states/governments and 18 minister-level officials in attendance.

Aside from Yudhoyono and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, the leaders of Brunei Darussalam and Timor Leste are also expected to attend.

“Ministers that will attend the forum are from Australia, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Palestine, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vanuatu and Jordan, among others,” the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a press statement released on Tuesday.

The number of country participants had been increasing year to year, the ministry said.

When it was first held in 2008, the forum drew representatives from only 40 countries. Participation bumped up slightly in 2009 to 48 country delegates, including observers.

“The forum will discuss the relationship between democracy and peace, and examine how development can push peace processes forward. Forum participants will exchange views and experiences on how to prevent and curb conflicts in a democracy in order to create sustainable political stability,” the ministry added.