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SBY to sign agreements during ASEAN trip

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to sign at least two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi next week

Mustaqim Adamrah and Erwida Maulia (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, October 23, 2010

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SBY to sign agreements during ASEAN trip

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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to sign at least two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi next week.

“Yes, we’ll sign an MoU on defense cooperation with Vietnam,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told a press conference on Friday at the ministry.

The ASEAN Summit will be held from Thursday until Saturday next week.

Presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the two MoUs were expected to be signed next Wednesday when he pays a courtesy call to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

“The first is on defense, and the other one, which is still being drafted, is on maritime and fisheries,” Faizasyah said, adding that both countries might cooperate in development of military industries.

Marty said Yudhoyono would also have bilateral meetings with leaders from South Korea, China, New Zealand and the Philippines on the sidelines of the summit.

“The Indonesian President will have a bilateral meeting with the South Korean president to discuss the future of bilateral cooperation in the defense industry,” Marty said.

The bilateral meeting with the South Korean leader would follow up earlier talks between Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and his counterpart Kim Tae-young when they met in Jakarta in August.

Purnomo earlier said Indonesia and South Korea were working together to build a jet fighter prototype by 2020. The project, initiated in 2006, is part of the government’s program to revitalize the Indonesian Military.

During the ASEAN summit Vietnam will officially hand over the chairmanship role to Indonesia, which will lead the regional grouping for the next year.

“We’re laying the foundation for Indonesia’s chairmanship in ASEAN in 2011,” Marty said.

The ASEAN Summit, he said, would also discuss key issues, such as preparations for the ASEAN community in 2015, maritime security and the new regional architecture of ASEAN — the expanded East Asian Summit.

The expanded East Asian Summit will welcome the US and Russia as new members of the expanded
summit.

Prior to his trip to Hanoi, Yudho-yono is scheduled to fly to Shanghai next Monday to visit the Shanghai World Expo, attend a business forum and witness the signing of some agreements between Indonesian and Chinese businesses.

“The President will especially visit Indonesia’s booth in the Shanghai Expo, which is said to have been visited by 6 million people,” Faizasyah said.

“This visit to China will focus on how we can woo investment from the country. There has been a decline in the bilateral trade between us as an impact of the economic crisis. We expect to use the forum to bring in investment and open the Chinese market for our products.”

Faizasyah said the President, who would leave Shanghai for Hanoi on Tuesday, would not hold any bilateral meetings with Chinese leaders due to the fact that Vice President Boediono had met with Chinese officials during his visit earlier this week.

Yudhoyono is expected to arrive back in Jakarta on Saturday evening or Monday morning, Faizasyah said.

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