YOGYAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Singapore is seeking cooperation with Yogyakarta city in Central Java , especially in the fields of culture and tourism.

"I see that Yogyakarta is a region that is rich in culture and extraordinary tourism potentials," Singapore’s foreign and domestic affairs minister Masagus Zulkifli said here on Saturday.

He said when meeting with the deputy governor of the special region, Sri Paku Alam IX, that Singapore also wishes to open Singapore Airline flights to Yogyakarta.

"This is to ease visits by the Singaporean people for tourism or to learn the culture, tourism and language," he said.

He said Singapore as a tourist destination received around 12 million foreign visitors every year who stayed there mostly for three days. He said the tourists after visiting Singapore actually also wished to be able to continue their trips to other regions.

"Yogyakarta is one of their choices," he said. He said Singapore also wishes several school teachers in that country could also learn Indonesian and Malay languages in Yogyakarta for around three to four months.

Paku Alam IX welcomed the cooperation offer saying that the Yogyakarta provincial administration would provide facilities for smooth development of the cooperation in the future.

During the meeting minister Masagus Zulkifli was accompanied by Singapore deputy ambassador Gerrard Ho and Paku Alam by the assistant for economic and development affairs, Andung Prihadi Santoso and head of Yogyakarta tourism service, Tazbir Abdullah.

Source: http://english.kompas.com/read/2011/12/11/09422723/How.Singaporeans.Increase.Tourism.and.Learn.Cultures.from.Indonesia

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