Indonesia, Suriname agree to forge economic cooperation

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Suriname agreed yesterday to establish economic cooperation to strengthen their bilateral ties and add weight to South-South relations.

President Soeharto and his visiting Surinamese counterpart Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan planned to step up cooperation in the fields of family planning, telecommunication, agriculture, transport and energy.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told journalists after the presidential meeting that Venetiaan invited Soeharto to visit Suriname, which has a sizable Indonesian population.

"The Surinamese people, especially those of Indonesian descent, have high hopes that President Soeharto will visit their country some day," Moerdiono said.

Last night, during a state banquet held in Venetiaan's honor, Soeharto emphasized that the traditional ties have been forged between the two countries are vital to the development of their relations in the future.

Indonesia invited Suriname to learn from the family planning, sugar processing and agriculture know-how from Indonesia, whose success in those fields is internationally recognized, Moerdiono said.

He also mentioned that an agreement had been set on the export of palm-oil from Indonesia.

Venetiaan, on his part, expects Indonesia to import bauxite from Suriname, one of the world's largest bauxite producers.

The two heads of state also looked into the possibility to develop bilateral trade. Indonesia aims to boost textile exports to Suriname.

Venetiaan, who arrived on Wednesday, is scheduled to leave today.

In the mean time, cabinet ministers from Indonesia and Suriname conducted a separate meeting, in which they agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

Indonesia was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana, Minister of Social Service Endang Inten Suweno and Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soerjohadikoesoemo.

The Surinamese delegation consisted of Foreign Minister S. Ch. Mungra, Social Services Minister W. Soemita, Minister of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fishery J. Sisal and Minister of Natural Resources FR. Demon.

Alatas said that, in the meeting, they agreed to expand the scope of cooperation that Indonesia and Suriname had reached in the past. In the near future, the two countries will sign agreement on avoidance of double taxation and investment promotion, he added.

The ministers of transportation also explored the possibility of setting up air transport cooperation involving Indonesian flag carrier Garuda and Surinamese Luchtfaart Maatschapij (LSM). (pan)