RI, Bangladesh move to up economic and trade ties

RI, Bangladesh move to up economic and trade ties

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia and Bangladesh signed on Saturday agreements aimed at
boosting economic and trade ties between the two countries.

The two agreed to establish a joint commission for bilateral
relations, promote comprehensive trade and economic partnership,
and cooperate on tourism.

Visiting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and host
President Megawati Soekarnoputri witnessed the signing ceremony
at Merdeka Palace, following talks between delegations from the
two countries.

"We have agreed to continue to make an effort to increase the
value as well as volume of our trade and investments," Megawati
said in a media statement issued after meeting PM Zia.

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in
agriculture.

"The prime minister's visit will further strengthen our
already friendly ties through wider and mutually beneficial
cooperation," the President said.

In 2001 and 2002, Bangladeshi exports to Indonesia stood at
US$5.6 million, while imports were valued at $173.6 million.
There is currently no Indonesian investment in Bangladesh.

Zia's visit, her first to Indonesia, is a reciprocal one after
Megawati visited Dhaka in June last year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Saturday
that during the meeting Zia also asked Indonesia to facilitate
Bangladesh's entry into the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

"ASEAN has decided to accept new members for ARF, with
Pakistan the first country to join the security forum; we are
considering the requests of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and East Timor
to be part of ARF," Hassan said.

Hassan was referring to the security forum of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with major countries such as
the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and India.

In the meeting, Hassan said, Indonesia also supported the
nomination of Bangladesh as secretary-general of the Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

"Bangladesh also supports our nomination to be a nonpermanent
member of the UN Security Council for the 2007-2008 term," Hassan
said.

Later in the day Zia paid a courtesy call on Vice President
Hamzah Haz and held a meeting with the Bangladeshi community
here.

Megawati hosted a state dinner for Zia at the State Palace on
Saturday evening. The prime minister was scheduled to depart for
Brunei Darussalam on Sunday.