Indonesian-Dutch bilateral ties strengthen
Indonesian-Dutch bilateral ties strengthen
JAKARTA (JP): The Netherlands Ambassador to Indonesia says
bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Indonesia have
strengthened significantly over the last year.
Paul R. Brower said the bilateral relationship had flourished
since the successful state visit of H.M. Queen Beatrix in August
1995.
The visit was instrumental in stimulating a number of fields
to expand, particularly direct investment and joint ventures, he
said.
"In fact, direct investment between Indonesia increased from
US$360 billion in 1995 to $1.2 billion in the first six months of
1996."
The Queen's visit was paralleled by an economic mission, led
by the Minister for Economic Affairs, H.E.H. Wijers.
The delegation, with 64 companies, is the largest yet to visit
Indonesia.
"Many of the new initiatives to come out of the state visit
are in the fields of education and human resources development,"
he said.
Dutch businesses made available an 18-month study-traineeship
program after the visit. The program, which is supported by the
Ministry for Economic Affairs, links Indonesian students, mostly
postgraduate, into an internship in a Dutch company.
This in turn is linked directly to study at a university or
institute of vocational education, he said.
It is a two-way program.
Indonesian students and employees will be able to study and
train in the Netherlands as will Dutch students in Indonesia.
More Dutch students should study in Indonesia, he said.
Direct cooperation between institutions are encouraged and are
working well, "I am confident this will continue to grow," he
said.
"Universities in Indonesia and the Netherlands have had a
traditional long-term relationship. There are many Indonesian
students studying in the Netherlands but as yet there are few
Dutch students studying in Indonesia," he said.
New initiatives in technology, energy, medical and
environmental technology, transport, infrastructure, sustainable
forestry, agriculture and the development of small and medium
enterprises are also being forged.
INDON ESTC recently launched a technological cooperation
program to intensify industrial and scientific cooperation
between firms in the Netherlands and Indonesia.
It brings together industrial enterprises, research
organizations and government institutions, he said.
This was marked last Tuesday and Wednesday by a Brokerage
Conference in Jakarta where 140 business delegates, officials
from the ministries of foreign affairs, energy and education
gathered to participate in the business matchmaking exercise.
Legal cooperation was established between the ministries of
justice, also after the state visit, with the signing of a
memorandum of understanding.
One of the outcomes of this cooperation will be the founding
of a library with legal reference books and documentation at
Erasmus Huis this year, he said.
The cultural center, Erasmus Huis, plays a big part in the
strengthening of ties, he said.
Most ties are made in shared information, both culturally and
in other ways.
"The intense round of cultural activities at Erasmus Huis is
designed to increase our mutual understanding," he said.
"Indonesia and the Netherlands have a long shared history,
there is a lot of shared knowledge between them. And they know a
lot about each other. This is a good platform for their current
relationship," he said.
Another very positive outcome of the state visit was the
agreement between the ministers of foreign affairs to an annual
meeting.
The first one since the state visit was in the Netherlands
last year, "I hope the one later this year will be in Jakarta,"
he said.