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