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Iran wants to expand ties with Indonesia
The head of Iran's presidential office, Mohammad Nahavandian, said expanding ties with Islamic countries was a top priority in the country's foreign policy, adding that Indonesia, as a major economic player in the Islamic world, had special status in Iran's foreign relations
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he head of Iran's presidential office, Mohammad Nahavandian, said expanding ties with Islamic countries was a top priority in the country's foreign policy, adding that Indonesia, as a major economic player in the Islamic world, had special status in Iran's foreign relations.
Nahavandian said during his meeting with Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, who is in Iran as special envoy for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, that cooperation between the two countries could play an effective role in promoting closer ties between Islamic countries.
'The new approach of the Iranian government and the new open political atmosphere has led to the emergence of opportunities for the expansion of Iran-Indonesia relations,' Nahavandian said in Tehran on Sunday night as quoted by Iran's official news agency, IRNA.
He added that bearing in mind the latest nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, a number of obstacles that had lain in the way of cooperation with other countries had been eliminated. Iran, he said, was determined to expand ties with its neighboring countries and it also wished to improve its relations with Indonesia.
'The antagonistic engagements in some Islamic countries have by no means their roots in Islam and, of course, Muslims should refrain from any intrigue or moves against one another,' Nahavandian said.
After accepting the Indonesian President's official letter of invitation for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the meeting, the latter's office head said: 'The invitation will be studied based on Iran's interests in the expansion of relations and interactions with Islamic countries, including Indonesia. I am sure the Iranian president's visit to Indonesia will provide ideas and opportunities for broader bilateral relations.'
Yudhoyono's special envoy, Dipo, expressed his satisfaction over the meeting with Iran's senior officials and wished success to Iran's government and the Iranian people.
'Indonesia is interested in expanding relations with Iran and as the rotating head of the D8 group, it will encourage greater cooperation with Iran within that grouping [of developing nations],' Dipo said.
According to data from the Indonesian Embassy in Iran, bilateral relations between the two countries have shown a positive trend in many fields each year. Despite Iran being put under international sanctions, the volume of trade between Iran and Indonesia has increased significantly.
Trade between the two countries in 2011 reached US$1.856 billion, an increase of 51 percent compared with 2010, IRNA reported. Iran has $286.3 million in surplus from trade with Indonesia, of which the largest transaction was the export of oil and gas to Indonesia, which reached $880.727 million in 2011, up 140 percent from 2010.
Meanwhile, non-oil and gas exports from Indonesia to Iran have also increased, reaching $781.5 million in 2011, up by 22.5 percent from 2010 when it stood at $639.3 million.
