French PM to visit Indonesia this week

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon is slated to visit Indonesia from Thursday to Saturday, during which he and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are expected to agree on a strategic partnership between Indonesia and France.

Fillon's visit will be a follow-up to Yudhoyono's visit to France in December 2009, during which the latter met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the idea to implement a strategic partnership developed.

”During the visit, the two leaders (Fillon and Yudhoyono) are expected to agree on a joint declaration regarding an Indonesia-France partnership,” the Presidential Palace in Jakarta said in a press statement on Tuesday.

”It will be a strong foundation for wider and more directed cooperation between the two countries in the future... And the visit will tighten the Indonesia-France partnership at global forums, such as the G20,” it added.

The statement also said that the delegations from the two countries were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on partnerships in the energy and mineral resources, tourism and education sectors, and on museums and volcanology.

It also said Fillon would be accompanied by four French ministers, a number of members of the French parliament, and about 20 French businesspeople.