For Country Profile: Chile --- Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005

For Country Profile: Chile --- Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005
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The relationship between Indonesia and Chile

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Chile were formally
established through an exchange of notes in September 1965. At
first they were maintained at the concurrent level, until Chile
set up permanent representation in Jakarta in November 1977 and
Indonesia opened its embassy in Santiago in March 1991. The first
resident representatives were Ambassador Enrique Carvallo in
Jakarta and Ambassador Sukarno Arjosutarno in Santiago.

During these forty years, bilateral ties have developed and
strengthened by way of various initiatives. Among them, the
respective presidential visits have been of fundamental
importance: President Abdurrahman Wahid made an official visit to
Chile in September 2000 and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
recently traveled to Santiago in November 2004, on the occasion
of the APEC Leaders Summit. For their part, President Eduardo
Frei attended the Apec Leaders Summit held in Bogor in 1994, and
President Ricardo Lagos made a working visit to Bali in November
2002 and more recently, in April 2004, made a state visit to
Indonesia.

This visit, the first of a Chilean Head of State to this
country, constituted a great opportunity for both sides to review
the main aspects of the relationship and to explore ways and
means to carry on even further into the future. In this regard,
the possibility of enhancing cooperation in the fisheries sector
through the implementation of various projects in aquaculture,
coastal and off-shore fishing, the interest of Chile to import
natural gas from Indonesia and the intention of Lan Chile and
Garuda Airlines to examine the terms of a prorate agreement in
order to expand their routes and increase tourism to both
countries, are topics to be developed. Likewise, the possibility
of concluding an investment agreement to avoid double taxation
and the interest of Indonesia to begin talks at a technical level
in order to determine the feasibility of negotiating a free trade
agreement are also part of the agenda. According to the Central
Bank of Chile, bilateral trade has shown a marked increase during
the last decade, amounting to US$259 million by December 2004 and
representing a field which provides scope for further enhancement
and development.

Other important aspects of the bilateral relationship and
cooperation initiatives is the participation of several young
diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia in
the various courses offered by the Diplomatic Academy of Chile
from 1989 to date, as well as the assistance granted during the
last years by the Embassy of Chile in Jakarta to the Cempaka
Putih School, which is reciprocated by the Embassy of Indonesia
in Santiago with regard to the Lo Espejo Primary School.
Likewise, the commemoration of the birth centenary of Chilean
poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda, who was the first Consul of
Chile in Batavia in the 1930s and drew inspiration for an
important part of his works of poetry from his experiences in
Indonesia, need to be mentioned as a relevant factor in the
cultural affinity between both countries. The renowned Indonesian
writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer was recently awarded the
Presidential Medal of Honor "Pablo Neruda", which was specially
issued by the Government of Chile for such an occasion.

More information can be gained about Chile at the following
websites:

http://www.chileinfo.com
http://www.foreigninvestment.cl
http://www.visit-chile.org
http://www.patagonia-chile.com