By Bernama,
Jakarta : Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has proposed to the United Nations a high level meeting to discuss the food crisis facing the world today, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported.
The president’s proposal was revealed by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda after receiving his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt here on Monday.
“The President has proposed to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon a high level meeting in response to the development of food crisis in the world today,” the foreign minister said.
He said that Susilo made the proposal through a letter sent to Ban Ki-moon in an effort to address the world food crisis arising as a result of the skyrocketing of fuel oil prices in the world market.
“The format and date of the meeting have yet to be decided,” the foreign minister said.
He said initially there was an idea to hold the meeting in the run-up to the UN General Assembly in New York in September this year.
But a number of parties considered the food crisis issue was an urgent problem and should be addressed soon so that there was no need for the high level meeting to wait until September.
“There is a proposal that it should be held sooner due to its urgency nature,” he said.