The grant from KfW has been used for the construction and provision of equipment of a state-of-the-art Bio-Safety Level (BSL) 3 facility at the National Veterinary Drug Assay Laboratory (NVDAL) in Bogor, West Java province, according to Indonesian news agency Antara.

During a visit to Bogor recently, Dr Christine Heimburger, KfW's regional director for East Asia and Pacific, attended a celebration of achievements with senior representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Early warning surveillance and poultry vaccination programmes like those delivered by the upgraded biosafety lab in Bogor can help to reduce the risk for an avian influenza pandemic in Asia and a spread to Europe.

"That's why this laboratory is an excellent example for a cooperation project in the mutual interest of both our countries," she said.

During the coming weeks, the BSL 3 facility at the NVDAL will undergo final installation of equipment, testing and commissioning before being handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture.

KfW Development Bank is Germany's leading development bank and an integral part of KfW. It carries out Germany's financial cooperation with developing countries on behalf of the federal government.

Germany's financial cooperation with Indonesia has a tradition of more than 50 years.