Indonesia, Russia Discuss Bilateral Cooperation

Jakarta, (Antara) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi met her Russian counterpart Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov to discuss bilateral cooperation.

"It is an honor for me and Indonesia to receive Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Three days back, we met in Manila at the ASEAN event," Foreign Minister Marsudi noted in a joint press statement with Russian foreign minister at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to Marsudi, Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit holds significance, as it is the first official bilateral visit of the Russian foreign minister to Indonesia.

During the bilateral meeting, the two foreign ministers signed a document on a Consultation Plan between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and Russia for the 2017-2019 period.

"The signing of this document clearly demonstrates the keenness of both countries' foreign ministries to intensify consultation and communication between Indonesia and Russia," Foreign Minister Marsudi emphasized.

The minister highlighted several topics of bilateral cooperation that became the focus of discussion, including in the fields of politics and security.

With regard to cooperation in the fields of politics and security, the two foreign ministers discussed efforts to increase cooperation in counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and strategic industries.

In the area of economic cooperation, the foreign affairs ministers of Indonesia and Russia held a discussion on increasing trade, investment, and tourism cooperation through people-to-people contacts.

For trade, Russia is one of the potential untapped markets in Europe.

The value of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia during the period between January and April 2017 had reached US$788.93 million, an increase of 50.77 percent from that recorded during the same period in 2016.

Some 80,514 Russian tourists had visited Indonesia in 2016, while 52,189 travelers were recorded during the January-May 2017 period.

In addition to covering bilateral issues, the two foreign ministers at the meeting also discussed regional and global issues, such as developments in the situation in the Korean Peninsula, South China Sea, and in the Middle East region.(*)