TRADE VALUE OF INDONESIA-TURKEY INCREASES: ENVOY

     Jakarta, April 7, 2011 (ANTARA) - The value of Indonesia-Turkey trade was recorded at 1.7 billion US dollars in 2010, up from 1.2 billion US dollars in 2009, according to an Indonesian ambassador.

          "Since the visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Turkey in June 2010 up to the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Indonesia this week, there has been progresses in the bilateral trade value," Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Nahari Agustini said here Thursday.

          Of the total 1.7 billion US dollars, 1.4 billion US dollars are in favor of Indonesia, she said.

           Indonesia and Turkey have set a target of bilateral trade value at around five billion US dollars by 2014, and up to 10 billion US dollars in the future, including by boosting investment cooperation.

          In the business forum organized by KADIN (Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and the trade ministry in Jakarta, Wednesday (April 6), the South Sumatran Governor and Hitay Investment Holdings of Turkey signed an initial agreement on one-billion-US dollar-worth investment in the geothermal field.

         The governments of Indonesia and Turkey have believed that the bilateral cooperation in the political and cultural fields are very sound, but there are still huge potentials that need to be tapped further in the fields of economic, trade and investment, Indonesia's first lady ambassador to Turkey explained.

          Ambassador Nahari said the fact that President Abdullah Gul reciprocated President Yudhoyono's visit to Turkey in less than a year demonstrated Turkey's big attention and appreciation toward Indonesia.

          For Turkey, President Gul's visit to Indonesia, April 4-6, 2011, was a historic one, because it was the first Turkish president visit to Indonesia since 16 years ago, she said.   
     President Gul was initially scheduled to also visit Yogyakarta and Aceh until Friday (April 8), but he canceled his plan and left Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (April 6).

          According to Ambassador Nahari, Indonesia planned to open a consulate general in Istanbul, Turkish main trade city, this year to facilitate the business activities between the two countries' businessmen, and support the mission of the Indonesian embassy in Ankara.   
    President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had made a three-day working visit from June 28 to June 30, 2010 to Turkey - the first Indonesian president to visit Turkey in the last 25 years.  
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(T.F001/A/F001/A/A014) 07-04-2011 18:11:25