Indonesia hopes to spur trade, investment with Chile
Indonesia hopes to spur trade, investment with Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile (Agencies): Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said on Monday he hoped to spur trade and investment between Chile and his country, which he admitted "does not have a perfect democratic system."
Alatas said Indonesia and Chile were negotiating an accord to protect and promote each others' investments and that each could be the other's bridge for trade into their respective regions.
"Our trade relations will be important not only for the Chilean and Indonesian market, but rather we should consider ourselves as the entrance-way to our respective regions," Alatas, who arrived on Sunday for a three-day visit, told reporters.
Asked by reporters about Indonesia's political system, Alatas admitted his country does not have a great record on human rights, Reuter reported.
"We are aware that we do not have a perfect democratic system nor in the human rights situation," he said through an interpreter. "We have the greatest respect for what Chile is doing and in turn we expect the rest of the world to understand that the Indonesian people must do what is best for it."
Trade between Chile and Indonesia totaled about $230 million last year, strongly in Chile's favor thanks to its copper exports which alone came to $161 million.
He was to leave Tuesday for a three-day visit to Brazil.
Annual trade between Indonesia and Brazil, meanwhile, totals about $600 million, AFP said.
In 1995, Indonesia provided Brazil with a wide variety of products including natural rubber, copper ore, car radios and cameras. It imported sugar, soy flour, steel, cotton and semi- manufactured steel and iron products.
Alatas will meet with Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Felipe Lampreia and discuss economic and political issues.
On the political front, a potential sticking point could be East Timor, a former Portuguese colony and now part of Indonesia.
In another economic initiative, Tunky Ariwibowo, Indonesia's minister of industry and commerce, is scheduled to arrive in Argentina today for a two-day visit.