TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has canceled his agenda in The Hague, Netherlands as the Dutch government protested recent executions of drugs death-row convicts.

During his visits to a number of European countries, Minister Jonan was scheduled to attend the Investor Forum in The Hague and visit Dutch transportation facilities for two days on Thursday, April 30, 2015 and Friday, May 1, 2015. At the Investor Forum, Minister Jonan would meet Dutch Transportation, Public Works and Water Resources Management Schultz van Haagen to have a discussion with business owners from Netherlands and Indonesia. However, Van Haagen called off his presence at the forum to protest the executions of drugs convicts.

“In response to Minister Van Haagen’s decision, Minister Jonan also canceled his participation at the Investor Forum and all official agendas in Netherlands. The decision was made after Jonan discussed the issue with the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” Hadi M. Juraid, the special staff of the Transportation Ministry, told Tempo via email on Saturday, May 02, 2015.

However, since business owners from Indonesia and Netherlands had booked places at the Investor Forum, Jonan was represented by Sugiharjo, the Ministry’s special staff for logistics and multimode, and Adolf Tambunan, the Ministry’s director of port and dredging.

Hadi said Dutch business owners deplored Mr. Van Haagen’s decision since they are very interested in the maritime development initiated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“They deplored the decision made by the Dutch government who mixed business with political issues,” Hadi said.

Jonan then held an informal meeting with local transportation business owners. Prior to Netherlands, Jonan visited London to meet International Maritime Organization secretary, shipping and train investors, and spoke before business owners at the Asia House. In addition, Jonan visited Riga, Latvia, to attend European and Asian Transportation Ministers conference and hold bilateral meetings with a number of European countries.

KHAIRUL ANAM