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Switzerland to pursue new legal MLA with RI
Friendly ties: Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (right) and her Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter give a press conference after a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Monday
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span class="inline inline-center">Friendly ties: Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (right) and her Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter give a press conference after a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Monday. JP/Awo
Switzerland will pursue a new mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreement with Indonesia as a basis to fight cross-border criminal activity, which would potentially enable the freezing of Indonesian assets acquired through illegal means and investments stored in Switzerland.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has said that negotiations on the new MLA with Switzerland would be carried in April and will be pushed to be signed later this year.
'MLA agreement aims to show the international community that [both Indonesia and Switzerland] are committed to fighting international cross-border crimes,' Retno told reporters on Monday at the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir added that the agreement would help the two nations in the legal context.
Retno met with Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter on Monday and discussed issues relating to further strengthening economic relations between the two countries, as well as cooperating more on the legal, security and tourism sectors.
Burkhalter says that bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Alpine country are excellent, but could be more intensive. Switzerland is aiming for Indonesia to become the largest cacao exporter to the country.
Switzerland and Indonesia established a Joint Economic and Trade Commission in 2009 and according to the Swiss Economic Development Report, Indonesia is the fourth-largest recipient country for Swiss direct investment in the Asia-Pacific region after Japan, Australia and Singapore.
Burkhalter, a former Swiss president, said that he also proposed dialogue on the death penalty and drug policies between Indonesia and opposing countries, with Switzerland acting as the bridge between the two parties in the dialogue.
Aside from meeting Retno, Burkhalter also met with President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo at the Presidential Palace.
Switzerland was also invited to the upcoming 60th Anniversary of the Asia Africa Summit in Bandung, in April, as an observer.
Switzerland's total trade figure with Indonesia was US$761.52 million in 2014, a 3.79 percent decrease from the figures in 2013, according to data from the Trade Ministry. (nvn)
