Makassar, S.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The South Sulawesi provincial administration will host the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) on October 6 and 7, a local official has said.

Head of the S Sulawesi investment coordinating board D.Khaddafi said here Thursday the meeting will focus on regional agriculture and fishery.

"The meeting will focus on efforts to increase cooperation in agriculture and fishery among BIMP-EAGA countries, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines," he said.

Khaddafi, who is also in charge of the meeting, said the event is expected to open trade and meet basic necessities among the member countries.

"For instance the Philippines needs rice, while we enjoy a surplus in the staple, so we can fulfill that country's need for the commodity," he said.

South Sulawesi has been appointed host of the event since Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo is the chairman of the BIMP-EAGA governors association and the province has been successful in agricultural development efforts.

The meeting which will be opened by Vice President Boediono is expected to be attended by officials at a ministerial level and the governors from the four countries at Clarison Hotel and the Makassar convention center.

The meeting will be held coinciding with the Indonesian Eastern Region Expo which will be participated in by all the provinces and companies in Indonesia's eastern regions.

"The expo will be run in the Makassar Celebes Convention Center and 70 percent of the preparations had been completed," Khaddafi said.

The expo is expected to serve as a medium to introduce all the potentials in Eastern Indonesia and to equalize the economic growth between the western and eastern parts of Indonesia.
(T.SYS/KR-LWA)