Swedish FM to head EU troika visit to Indonesia

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt will head an EU troika visit to Indonesia on Monday for the signing of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Indonesia, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said Friday.

This will be the first agreement of its kind that the EU has signed in Asia, the ministry said in a statement.

Sweden holds the current rotating EU Presidency during the second half of this year.

A human rights dialogue between the EU and Indonesia will also be launched at the meeting hosted by Indonesia's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Marty Natelegawa, said the statement.

Other topics of discussion will include developments in South East Asia, the financial crisis and preparations ahead of the climate summit in Copenhagen, it added.

Bildt will be accompanied by Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director General for External Relations at the European Commission, and Helga Schmid, Director of the Policy Unit at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. The incoming Spanish Presidency will also be represented, according to the statement.

Source: Xinhua