RI, Egypt hold consultations

RI, Egypt hold consultations

INDONESIA: Senior officials from Indonesia and Egypt met in Bali
on Monday to boost the bilateral relations between the two
countries.

The Egyptian delegation led by Mahmoud Karem, Assistant to the
Egyptian Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs and Makarim Wibisono,
director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Indonesian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the first bilateral talks in
line with the Memorandum of Understanding on consultation signed
by the two countries in 2001.

"The discussion took place as the international scene has been
undergoing significant changes affecting the political, economic,
social and culture landscape in the Middle East as well as in
Southeast Asia," said the countries in a press communique sent to
The Jakarta Post on Monday.

It said that the two parties agreed on the need to expand and
balance trade relations between Egypt and Indonesia.

The two parties agreed to hold the second bilateral
consultation in 2005 in Egypt. -- JP