Indonesia, Suriname agree to forge economic cooperation
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)