Indonesia, New Zealand FTA within months: Ministers
Indonesian and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement talks under the auspices of the Asean bloc have been progressing well despite the economic crisis and both countries expect the bilateral arrangement can be concluded within months, say foreign ministers, The Jakarta Post reported.
In a press conference after meeting with his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully on Thursday in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said the government raised, among other things, the issue of halal certification for New Zealand meat products and technical agricultural assistance from New Zealand in return for market access.
�We discussed general trade issues and specifically the halal certification of the meat we import from their country. On the Indonesian side, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) will deal with the (issuance of) halal meat certification,� he said.
Wirajuda said there would be further discussion between the countries on the technicalities of meeting the requirements of halal certification, adding that the MUI had already been involved in addressing the problem of the different procedures in issuing certificates.
In a press conference after meeting with his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully on Thursday in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said the government raised, among other things, the issue of halal certification for New Zealand meat products and technical agricultural assistance from New Zealand in return for market access.
�We discussed general trade issues and specifically the halal certification of the meat we import from their country. On the Indonesian side, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) will deal with the (issuance of) halal meat certification,� he said.
Wirajuda said there would be further discussion between the countries on the technicalities of meeting the requirements of halal certification, adding that the MUI had already been involved in addressing the problem of the different procedures in issuing certificates.