The SBA Networking cocktail (every 2^nd Wednesday every month) will be at Club Macanudo in Shangri-La Hotel, from 19.00 to 21.00 on Wednesday June 9 and we offer free flow of drinks (wine, beer, whiskey, soft drink). The self cost is IDR 150,000 per person. No prior registration needed, just come.

2. Embassy News

BAPPENAS to Sweden in June
An Indonesian government and academic delegation headed by Vice Minister Dr. Ir. Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo, from the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS, ) will visit Sweden during the first week of June. The main purpose of the visit is to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between Sweden and Indonesia, in particular in the urban environmental field, and enhance contacts and exchange for the partnership based cooperation that has been prioritised for development cooperation with Indonesia. Six persons from BAPPENAS, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Gadja Madah University in Yogyakarta will among others meet counterparts at the Swedish MFA, the Ministry of Environment and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, a visit to Borås City, collaborating with the University of Gadja Madah in a comprehensive waste refinery network, is on the agenda.

This newsletter is a bit later since we had the nose for the news on the minister of finance. We have tried to make an assessment of it and thought it was important to get it in even if it meant a late newsletter.

The SBA Networking cocktail (every 2^nd Wednesday every month) will be at Club Macanudo in Shangri-La Hotel, from 19.00 to 21.00 on Wednesday May 12 and we offer free flow of drinks (wine, beer, whiskey, soft drink). The self cost is IDR 150,000 per person. No prior registration needed, just come.

2. Embassy News

TV-shooting for "Menue & Venue" at the Swedish residence
TV-shooting at the Swedish residence on April 28 with METRO TV and their Saturday morning 30 min program "Menue & Venue" . The program will focus on Swedish gastronomy and ambassador Ewa Polano will cook together with Swedish Chefs Johan och Lotta Lassesson, from Cafe Smörgås in Bali and focus on Swedish culinary highlights such as"Gravad Lax, Skagenröra and Kantarellsås".

2010 Spring Fiscal Bill
On Thursday 15 April the Swedish Government presented the 2010 Spring Fiscal Policy Bill. This annual bill usually focuses on economic policy guidelines and contains the Government's forecasts for the Swedish economy and public finances. However, in view of the crisis, this year the Government also proposes a number of measures in the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill and the associated supplementary budget. The economic recovery appears to be arriving sooner and turning out stronger than the Government estimated in the Budget Bill for 2010. Growth of 2.5 per cent is expected this year, followed by 3.9 per cent next year. Unemployment is expected to begin to decline and employment to increase in the course of this year.

The SBA Networking cocktail (every 2^nd Wednesday every month) will be at Club Macanudo in Shangri-La Hotel, from 19.00 to 21.00 on Wednesday April 14 and we offer free flow of drinks (wine, beer, whiskey, soft drink). The self cost is IDR 150,000 per person. No prior registration needed, just come.

The Swedish Business Luncheon will be on April 22, 13.00 at Le Bistro restaurant located behind Jaya Pub in Jl. Thamrin. As usual we will serve traditional yellow pea soup (Ärtsoppa) and pancakes. Self cost is IDR 200,000. For registration or more information, please contact Per Brandt (per.brandt@combibox.com).

2. Embassy News

Visit by the Swedish Export Credit Guarantee Board, The Swedish Export Credit Guarantee Board (Exportkredinämnden - EKN) is currently planning for a visit to Jakarta, 13-14 April 2010. EKN is a state authority that guarantees companies and banks payment for export business. The Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board plays an important role to facilitate trade between Sweden and other countries. EKN makes every year a board trip to a certain region in the world to learn more about the current political situation, business climate, conditions and standards in the region. We are very glad that the Board this year have selected Indonesia for such a visit. Members of the Board of EKN consist of high ranking representatives from Swedish government offices and the business sector. The Embassy is now setting up a visiting program with high level official from relevant Indonesian ministries, authorities, economists, think thanks, as well as with representatives of the Swedish related business community that will share their knowledge and experience from Indonesia.

The SBA Networking cocktail (every 2nd Wednesday every month) will be at Club Macanudo in Shangri-La Hotel, from 19.00 to 21.00 on Wednesday March 10 and we offer free flow of drinks (wine, beer, whiskey, soft drink). The self cost is IDR 150,000 per person. No prior registration needed, just come.

The annual Swedish Business Associations Global Development trip went to Cortina, Italy this year. The delegation solved, as it always does, all the global problems. The trip was ended with some fantastic and well deserved skiing in the Italian alps. Once again it is proven that Swedish Business representative have a great contribution to the solution of the world problems.

2. Embassy News

Statement of Swedish Foreign Policy 2010, Each February, the Minister for Foreign Affairs presents the Government's Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. This statement is commonly known as the Foreign Policy Statement. The presentation is followed by a debate in the Riksdag. The Foreign Policy Statement outlines the direction of the Government's foreign policy in the coming year.

This year's Foreign Policy Statement is the first under the Treaty of Lisbon, a Treaty that means a crucial step in strengthening the European Union as a global actor. Europe has thereby gained new opportunities to shape international developments on the basis of European interests and values. Sweden's foreign policy is more integrated into the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy than ever. This gives Sweden a new responsibility and new opportunities to work actively for freedom, peace and reconciliation around the world, and it is the Government's main foreign policy priority to do so.

Nothing is mentioned about Indonesia, nor ASEAN. But a sentence about the rising power of Asia:

"The world of tomorrow will be shaped to a great extent by Asia’s emerging strength. The economic crisis has caused not only economic power but also political influence to further shift towards Asia."Regarding Asia, the statement mention that "".

The SBA Networking cocktail (every 2^nd Wednesday every month) will be at Club Macanudo in Shangri-La Hotel, from 19.00 to 21.00 on Wednesday February 10 and we offer free flow of drinks (wine, beer, whiskey, soft drink). The self cost is IDR 150,000 per person. No prior registration needed, just come.

The Swedish Business Luncheon will be on February 11 at Le Bistro at 13.00 and you will once again have the chance to get Swedish Ärtsoppa (yellow pea soup) followed by pancakes. Contact Per Brandt (per.brandt@combibox.com) or Ola Dahlman (medidocola@gmail.com) for more information. 

"The biggest Swedish business delegation ever to Indonesia" The Swedish Embassies in Jakarta and Singapore, in cooperation with the Swedish Business Associations of Indonesia and Singapore are organizing a visit on 31 January-2 February to Indonesia for one of the biggest Swedish business delegation ever to Indonesia with CEO:s/President Directors of 35 Swedish Companies. Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Sweden are excellent and trade relations have been improving significantly during the last years and we see a great potential to continued dynamic and fruitful cooperation between our countries. The purpose of the visit is to identify investment and business opportunities and to get a better understanding of the economic and political developments in Indonesia. There will be a visiting program with high level officials from relevant ministries and authorities, economists, the European Union Delegation, as well as with representatives of the Indonesian and Swedish related business community.