Indonesia’s President Warns of Rising Asian Needs

Posted June 12th, 2011 at 10:10 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on Asian political and business leaders to make efforts to meet the region’s rising need for food, energy and water.

President Yudhoyono made his appeal in his opening address to the World Economic Forum Sunday in Jakarta.

He said Asia has the potential to help the world achieve a strong and sustainable economy, but it must first address the pressures coming from food, energy and water insecurity.

President Yudhoyono noted that of the seven billion people that now inhabit our planet, 60 percent live in Asia. He said as Asian economies grow, they will seek and compete for finite natural resources. Mr. Yudhoyono said that in previous centuries such rivalry led to wars, conquest, exploitation and untold suffering.

Indonesia’s capital is hosting the World Economic Forum for the first time. The forum’s main event takes place annually in the Swiss resort of Davos.

The Jakarta meeting aims to tackle critical issues facing the region, including its need for resources and its response to the ever-present threat of natural disasters.

Food security and the impact of rising food prices on poor populations are expected to be among the key issues discussed by regional leaders.