M.A.S. Hikam, Indonesia's Minister of State for Research and Technology, visited the ICTP on 31 May. He was accompanied by a delegation of 10 scientific researchers and administrators. Alessandro Merola, newly appointed Italian ambassador to Indonesia, and Michele Miele, Italian advisor to the Minister of State for Research and Technology, were also in attendance. At the meeting, Minister M.A.S. Hikam and ICTP Director Miguel Virasoro signed a letter of intent that called for enhancing existing collaboration between the ICTP and Indonesian scientific institutions and for pursuing strategies that would lead to new programmes of cooperation. The Minister expressed his nation's desire to increase the number of Indonesian scientists, especially young scientists, participating in ICTP training and research activities. The Minister and his delegation also visited other scientific research institutions in Trieste, including AREA Science Park, the International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS), and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).