REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Thirty companies from Palestine and East Asian countries will exhibit specialty products at the CEAPAD II trade expo, to be held here in March.

The chairman of the Middle East and OIC Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Mohamad Bawazeer, said here on Saturday that he was optimistic that the expo would increase awareness and interest of participants in the need to speed development in Palestine.

Indonesia will host the 2nd Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for the Palestinian Development (CEAPAD), scheduled to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on March 1.

The 1st CEAPAD ministerial conference agreed to involve private parties in speeding efforts to improve the welfare of the Palestinian people.

The agreement is to be carried out through the Business and Trade Expo as part the CEAPAD II event at Hotel Borobudur on March 1-2.

"Businessmen from Palestine, Indonesia and other CEAPAD member countries will be invited to the Forum," Mohamad said.

The aim of the expo is to demonstrate to the global forum the added value and skills of the Palestinian people, he noted.

The event will be organized by the foreign ministry, in cooperation with Kadin or, in this case, the Committee for the Middle East and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries.

The CEAPAD program was initiated by the Japanese government and fully supported by the Islamic Development Bank and Indonesian businessmen, with the aim of providing assistance and guidance to promote the welfare of the Palestinian people.

Mohamad said the Business Forum at CEAPAD II would hear discussions about the potential and abilities of Palestine and explore what Indonesia could offer, which would be presented by ministerial-level officials from the two countries.

Indonesia and Palestine are also scheduled to sign a Joint Business Council Agreement between the two countries' businessmen.

"Businessmen could use the CEAPAD II Business Forum for building their businesses," he said.

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