The Indonesian government has received the backing of a global aviation body for negotiations with the European Commission to lift its ban on Indonesian airlines flying to the 27-nation bloc, local press said Friday.

 

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) president Roberto Kobeh Gonzales said Indonesia was on the right track to improving its air safety standards, and that the ban might have resulted from "misinformation."

 

"We hope that they can get more transparent information on what Indonesia is doing with its aviation industry. And the best way to solve this problem is through negotiations," he was quoted by English daily The Jakarta Post as saying.

 

Gonzales made the remarks after inspecting an aircraft maintenance hangar run by national flag-carrier PT Garuda Indonesia near the capital Jakarta on Thursday.

 

"I think the facility is good. They have so many customers from around the world, that means that they are good," Gonzales commented.

 

Indonesia signed an agreement with the ICAO on Monday to improve air safety standards so as to bring them up to an international level.

 

Meanwhile, visiting Belgian Minister of the Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade, and Science Policy Marc Verwilghen expressed hope that the flight ban would be lifted soon.

 

"The decision was made by the EC, not the individual members. But once the ban is lifted, we would be very eager to establish direct flights from Belgium to Jakarta to boost trade," he told the newspaper.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2007)