RI, Argentina to strengthen economic ties
Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | World | Thu, September 13 2012, 7:20 AM
Paper Edition | Page: 12
Indonesia and Argentina have agreed to establish a strategic economic partnership, in a shift away from European states currently suffering from the eurozone crisis, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says.
“Both Indonesia and Argentina are members of G20. Both are also nations with substantial economic growth, particularly from a regional perspective. Our common membership in many global forums will certainly help provide room for both countries to enhance cooperation,” Marty told the press after talks with his Argentinean counterpart Hector Marcos Timerman at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The two ministers also signed an agreement called “Technical Arrangement Indonesia-Argentina for South-South and Triangular Cooperation Activities”.
Indonesia is currently Argentina’s fourth-biggest trading partner and the biggest in Southeast Asia. Argentina, meanwhile, is Indonesia’s second-biggest trading partner in the South American region.
The countries’ two-way trade surged to almost US$2 billion in 2011, much higher than $632.47 million in 2007.
“Indonesia and Argentina are enjoying a good and robust relationship,” Marty said.
According to Marty, his discussion with Timerman also included talks about cooperation in agriculture, culture, engineering, sports and people-to-people connectivity.
Timerman expressed his appreciation of Indonesia’s “leadership both at the regional and global levels”.
He also reiterated the importance for Indonesia and Argentina to seriously address climate change issues.
“This is important because this issue can be used by developed nations to put pressure on developing countries,” he added.
Timerman’s Jakarta visit, at Marty’s invitation, was aimed at forging a stronger relationship between the two regional powers.
Indonesia sees Argentina as a prospect for further trade and investment cooperation given the latter’s position as Latin America’s third-largest economy.
Indonesia has begun looking to Latin America, given analysts’ predictions that the eurozone is not going to fully recover within the next few years.
On the sidelines of the 2012 APEC Summit in Vladivostok, Russia, last week, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held bilateral talks with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, which were believed to include talks about improving economic ties. (lfr)
