India, RI meet to boost ties

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 10/29/2007 4:39 PM

Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian and Indian officials will hold a series of meetings in Jakarta to discuss improving bilateral relations and cooperation in various sectors.

""We will be very busy next week because our commerce secretary G.K. Pillai will be arriving in Jakarta on Monday to attend the first meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Study Group (JSG),"" Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Navrekha Sharma told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The meetings, which run on Oct. 30-31, 2007, will examine the feasibility of concluding a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Indonesia.

""The JSG is being held in the overall context of working towards enhancing bilateral economic relations,"" the Indian Embassy said in a press release sent to the Post on Saturday.

Ever since the declaration of the New Strategic Partnership by the leaders of India and Indonesia during the visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2005, both countries have been trying to boost bilateral trade to new heights.

Bilateral trade soared to US$3.11 billion in the first six months of this year, a record increase of 52.41 percent from $2.04 billion during the same period last year. Overall bilateral trade in 2006 stood at $4.79 billion, a huge jump from $3.93 billion in 2005.

A 11-member delegation from India's Ministry of Agriculture will also visit Indonesia to hold meetings with officials from Indonesia's ministries of agriculture and health as well as the National Drug and Food Control Agency. It will also meet some agri-based associations.

Meanwhile, Indian Embassy's political counselor Muktesh Pardeshi said on Sunday that another Indian delegation will be arriving in Jakarta on Monday to attend the ASEAN-India working group meeting.

""The delegation will be led by India's Ministry of External Affairs joint secretary for multilateral and economic relations Sunil Jain,"" Muktesh said.

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