Indonesia, Iran agree on labor ties

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Iran have agreed to join forces in promoting the interests of developing countries in international labor forums including the International Labor Organization and the Asia-Pacific Labor Conference..

Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief and his Iranian counterpart Hosen Kamali discussed the issue during a meeting at his office yesterday.

The two ministers also explored the possibilities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, industrial relations and vocational training, Latief told reporters after the meeting.

"Our officials will discuss the details of the cooperation programs," he said, adding that initially, they would launch exchanging of experts and of information on industrial relations.

Kamali yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office during which he presented a letter from Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani calling for the two countries to forge closer ties.

Elaborating on the proposal, Kamali said Iran could provide a main gateway for Indonesian exports to Central Asia. (rms)