Norwegian FM visits Indonesia to boost bilateral relations<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson, who came here on
\nSaturday on a three-day visit, and his Indonesian counterpart
\nHassan Wirayuda, held bilateral talks on Sunday in Jakarta, the
\nMinistry of Foreign Affairs said in a release.<\/p>\n
Both ministers discussed a strategy to boost bilateral ties
\nand explored the idea of establishing an Indonesia-Norway joint
\ncommission. The commission, if launched, would become a medium
\nfor Norway and Indonesia to enhance bilateral cooperation in many
\nfields jointly agreed by the two countries, the release said.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting between the Indonesian and Norwegian foreign
\nministers will open a new chapter in relations between the two
\ncountries. It will be an attempt to widen and boost bilateral
\nties, including in the fishery and marine sector as well as in
\ntrade and investment areas,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has signed five bilateral agreements -- Trade in
\n1951, Aviation (1971), Avoidance of Double Taxation (1988),
\nInvestment Guarantees (1994) and Improvement and Protection of
\nInvestment (1994) -- with Norway so far.<\/p>\n
Hassan and Peterson also discussed preparations for the
\nforthcoming dialog on human rights, which will be held from May 4
\nthrough May 5 in Jakarta. Since its launch in 2002, the dialog
\nhas been working as a platform for both countries to cooperate
\nwithin the field of human rights. Norway, a non-European Union
\ncountry with a population of 4.4 million, offers training and
\neducation in the field of human rights to Indonesians, and
\nsupport to the judicial system.<\/p>\n
The two countries have signed a letter of intent to combat
\nwidespread illegal logging; it also covers the timber trade and
\ntimber products.<\/p>\n
Peterson was scheduled to meet Minister of Trade and Industry
\nRini Soewandi on the last day of his tour, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Peterson's visit comes at a time when exiled leaders of the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) have begun relocating some of their
\nactivities from Sweden to Norway, which has a more liberal
\nrefugee policy than Sweden.<\/p>\n
In its latest edition, the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern
\nEconomic Review, quoting GAM officials, said that within the last
\nthree years some 200 political refugees from Aceh had gone to
\nNorway and opted to settle there.<\/p>\n
GAM was forced to move its base from Sweden to Norway amid
\nstepped-up efforts by Jakarta to prove the exiled leaders were
\nengaged in terrorist activities.<\/p>",
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