Australian Trade Minister to visit Indonesia
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 04/17/2011 4:44 PM
Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson will visit Jakarta this week, where he will hold talks with Indonesian counterpart Mari Elka Pangestu.
This is Emerson’s first visit to the country as Trade Minister. The trip comes as Australia and Indonesia prepare for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched the CEPA process in November last year.
“As the two largest economies in Southeast Asia, there is considerable scope for Australia and Indonesia to strengthen and expand their economic relationship,” Emerson said in a release received by The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
“The Indonesian economy, with 234 million people, has been growing strongly and could be in the top 10 globally by 2025,” he added.
Besides the CEPA negotiations, the ministers will discuss Indonesia’s ratification of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
The two ministers will also discuss the finalization of a joint pilot project designed to help improve Indonesia’s cattle breeding performance.
Indonesia is Australia’s fourth largest market for agricultural exports, behind Japan, China and the US. In 2009-10, the value of trade between Australia and Indonesia was A$11.8 billion (US$12.4 billion).
