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ndonesia and Cyprus have pledged to explore the possibilities of doing more bilaterally in the fields of the economy, education, maritime affairs and tourism, among others things, following the two-day visit of the Cypriot foreign minister to Jakarta.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral consultation on Tuesday as a platform for regular dialogue between the governments.

“This will help us structure and continue dialogue and enable us to explore issues of common interest to the two governments,” Kyprianou said during a discussion at Antara news agency’s headquarters on Wednesday.

Kyprianou’s visit was the first after “a lengthy period” by a Cypriot foreign minister and was of great political significance as Indonesia holds the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, according to a statement by Cyprus’ Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Besides meeting Marty, Kyprianou also paid a courtesy call to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, visited the ASEAN secretariat and met ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan and House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie on Wednesday.

During their meeting the ministers agreed to immediately seal agreements on merchant shipping and avoiding double taxation that were expected to open wider opportunities for trade and investment, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.

“We’re going to explore the potential, not just in trade but also in direct investment,” Kyprinaou said.

“There’s a good possibility, especially given that Cyprus is a service center and a banking center. I think we can facilitate investment in Indonesia.”

He said the ministers also agreed to hold interfaith dialogues in the future “bilaterally and regionally”.

On education, Kyprinaou said the countries agreed to promote scholarships and student exchanges, as well as promote cooperation between journalists and the media.

“I think it will be helpful for the media and journalists in each country to be introduced to each other,” he said.

Kyprinaou said he also appreciated Indonesia’s continued support of Cyprus on sovereignty issues.

“The two countries share certain values. Both respect international law and the UN charter. We want to see problems solved peacefully through dialogue and following principles,” he said.

“Of course the basic principle is the respect of territorial integrity of all nations. For this, we’re grateful for the support of Indonesia to Cyprus in our efforts to solve the sovereignty issue and reunify the country.”

One-third of the territory of the Mediterranean island is occupied by Turkey.

In addition to bilateral issues, Kyprinaou said he and Marty also discussed regional and international issues, including the unrest in the Middle East.

Kyprinaou also praised the role of Indonesia as chair of ASEAN in helping to resolve territorial conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand peacefully.