The commitments were expressed during a dinner reception hosted by Indonesian Ambassador to Venezuela Imam Edy Mulyono on Dec. 17, the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas said in a media statement.

Imam invited Vice Minister for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania at the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministry Rubén Darion Molina to the dinner reception held at Wisma Indonesia in Caracas.

Other dignitaries attending the dinner reception were Vice Minister for International Trade and Investment Promotion at the Venezuelan Tourism and Foreign Trade Ministry and Vice President for International Affairs at Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, Rander Peña.

During the reception, Imam and his guests discussed efforts to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

The efforts include the development of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultation, as well as deliberations on potential economic cooperation between the two countries.

“The relationship between Indonesia and Venezuela is of paramount importance, especially in today’s global circumstances where south-south cooperation is crucial,” Imam said as quoted in the statement.

“Accordingly, this occasion also sets itself as an opportunity to applaud the extraordinary efforts made by both countries to strengthen this cooperation. There is also room for improvement to make our synergy stronger, especially on trade and tourism affairs.”

Meanwhile, Molina expressed hopes for stronger relations not only between Venezuela and Indonesia, but also with ASEAN.

“We are confident that a strong relationship between Venezuela and Indonesia will help reinforce and foster relations with Asian countries,” Molino said as quoted in the statement.

“With Indonesia’s leadership in ASEAN, the cooperation between Latin America and ASEAN could become more intense in the future.”

The reception served as an introduction for Imam to his counterparts after he presented his credentials to President Nicolás Maduro at the Miraflores Palace on Nov. 23.

Imam, a retired two-star Army general, is also accredited to the Commonwealth of Dominica; Grenada; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Trinidad and Tobago.

Indonesia and Venezuela established diplomatic relations on Oct. 10, 1959. Indonesia opened its embassy in Caracas in 1977 and Venezuela reciprocated in 1981.

The reception also included cultural performances to introduce Indonesia’s rich and diverse culture to the guests, which included a showcase of Indonesian arts and crafts, a fashion show of Indonesian traditional costumes from across the archipelago, a traditional Betawi (native Jakarta) dance performance, and an Indonesian martial arts demonstration.

Earlier on Dec. 10, Imam visited the Indonesian School in Caracas, which was established in 1990.

He met with the teachers and students as well as enjoying an angklung (bamboo musical instrument) performance. (nvn)