If the sister of the King of the Belgians Philippe was in Indonesia from March 12th to 19th, it was by no tourist purposes. Princess Astrid led an economic mission in this Southeast Asia archipelago focusing on different areas: building / infrastructure / logistics; / Pharmaceutical health care; energy; cleantech; food; maritime; textile industry; ICT and Smart Cities. Concentrated on the two cities of Jakarta and Bandung, it has mixed with company visits, seminars and contract signings for official meetings and receptions.

It is with a big smile that the ArchDuchess of Austria-Este(her other title through marriage to Prince Lorenz), a necklace of flowers around her neck, took a pose under a sign indicating the direction of the avenue Astrid (Astrid Jalan) in the botanical garden of Bogor in south Jakarta. Her namesake yet it was not in her honor this path was so named. But one to her late grandmother. Between 1928 and 1934, the future King Leopold III made several trips to Indonesia with his then wife Princess Astrid of Sweden who experience a tragic end at the age of 29 in August 1935, a year and a half after her husband was sworn in as King.

To mark a memory of her visit in the Indonesian Botanic Garden this Wednesday March 16th, the current Princess Astrid of Belgium planted four months bamboss. Which was provided by Oprins, "a spinoff of the University of Ghent," the Belgian daily "L'Avenir", adding: "The company has a production facility in Yogyakarta (Central Java) specializes in reproduction of bamboo and research around this plant. "
Photo Credits: PAris MAtch