RI, Thailand agree on Myanmar, promoting bilateral cooperation

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 03/27/2008 1:02 AM  |  Headlines

CHECKING THE LINE: Thai Prime Minister Samak Suntaradej inspects the presidential guard following his arrival at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday. The Thai leader is here for a two-day visit to promote economic and military cooperation between Indonesia and Thailand. (P/R. Berto Wedhatama)  President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Thailand Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej met Wednesday to discuss issues ranging from bilateral trade to support for the democratic process in Myanmar.

Both leaders also agreed to forge cooperation in the agricultural sector in trying to overcome increasing global problems of food scarcity, with Indonesia hoping to learn of Thailand's advances in food technology and forge a partnership in securing future rice supply.

Yudhoyono said Indonesia and Thailand were ready to help Myanmar's roadmap to democracy, urging other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to follow suit.

"We will help Myanmar so that in its process to democracy, it can maintain its stability and national integration," he told a press conference after the meeting.

Sundaravej said both leaders agreed ASEAN countries were in the best position to understand and have a dialogue with Myanmar, stressing the importance of ratifying the ASEAN Charter to solve problems within the grouping, including Myanmar.

"As Thailand will become chairman of ASEAN in July, we discussed how Indonesia and Thailand will continue to work closely together with other fellow ASEAN countries to develop ... a strong ASEAN. We stress the importance of having the ASEAN Charter ratified by the summit in Bangkok in December," he said.

The Prime Minister also thanked Indonesia for its role in helping in Thailand's troubled southern provinces.

He accepted Yudhoyono's invitation to take part in a capacity-building conference in Jakarta to help the Palestinian government and people build their country.

Yudhoyono said both countries would maintain cooperation in rice trading.

"Beside increasing rice production domestically, we need cooperation in our rice trade with Thailand. We would like also to cooperate with Thailand in agricultural technology as the country has a high degree of expertise in the sector," he said.

Sundaravej said Thailand would give priority to Indonesia's proposal to purchase Thai rice.

Indonesia's bilateral trade with Thailand continues to expand, with an average annual increase of 21 percent in the past four years. The trade volume reached US$8.7 billion in 2007, up from $5.5 billion in 2004.

Thailand's investment in Indonesia doubled to $270 million in 2007 from $125 million in 2006, making the country the third-biggest ASEAN investor after Malaysia and Singapore.

"In 2010, only two years from now, our trade volume should more than double to nearly $20 billion. Both of us reaffirmed that our cooperation will continue to be guided by the principles of a win-win partnership for mutual benefit," Sundaravej said.

The leaders also discussed cooperation in energy, tourism, security, defense, illegal fishing and police forces.

In an earlier meeting with businesspeople, Sundaravej said Thailand had planned to import gas from Indonesia.

"I have spoken to the President today about our plan to import gas from Indonesia. We are also planning to supply 100,000 to 300,000 tons of rice for Indonesia at a reasonable price this year," he said. (lva)

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