President joins state mourning in Bali

Bali, Indonesia, Nov 28 (UNI) Joining the seven-day national mourning on the death of former prime minister V P Singh, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who arrived this island city of Indonesia late this evening, decided to skip the banquet and other cultural programmes organised by the Indonesian government in her honour during the four-day state visit to the country.

Governor of Bali Mangku Pastika were among those who received the President at the Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Ms Patil's Secretary Cristy Fernandes told mediapersons accompanying the President on the ten-day two-nation tour of Vietnam and Indonesia that her sentiments had been conveyed to the Indonesian authorities who agreed to modify the programmes.

He said the President would, however, attend other official engagements at Bali and the capital city of Jakarta, where she would be reaching on November 30, as per the programme.

Ms Patil was earlier scheduled to attend the banquet in her honour to be hosted by Indonesian President Sushilo Bambang Yudhuyono on December 1, to be followed by a cultural evening.

The President had no engagement listed for today.

Tommorrow at Bali, she would visit Taman Ayun Temple in the morning and in the evening she would meet the prominent citizens and cultural personalities and intellectuals, meet the Bali Governor and attend the dinner to be hosted in her honour at the Governor's residence.

UNI KAS SKB AS1806