Vatican to facilitate Indonesian palm oil seminar

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said Vatican would facilitate palm oil seminar to be held by Indonesia in the Pontifical University in the city state.



The seminar, to be held in May this year is designed to promote palm oil in the European Union where Indonesian products of palm oil and derivatives are banned.



Luhut said he was told about the assistance by Director of Papal Institutions Cardinal Peter Turkson at a meeting in Vatican on Wednesday.



"Cardinal Turkson expressed concern with the problem faced by Indonesian farmers as a result of the discrimination against Indonesian palm oil in the European Union," Luhut said.



He said elements from the EU, multinational companies using palm oil and farmers from Malaysian and Indonesia, and religious leaders will be invited to the seminar.



Luhut said he proposed the participation of religious leaders from Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.



On the same day, Luhut also held a meeting with Colombian Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Juan Guillermo Zuluaga and invited the Colombian Minister to take part in the seminar.



The two ministers exchanged information about matters of interest to both sides and cooperation in facing threat to ban imports of palm oil-based biodiesel.



Colombia is the fourth largest producer of palm oil in the world with production of 1.28 million tons a year.



Zuluaga said he had met with EU representatives and told them the EU was wrong in its palm oil policy.



(AS/H-YH)

(T.SYS/B/H-ASG/B/H-YH)