INDONESIA RENEWS COMMITMENT TO CLOSER TIES WITH PACIFIC COUNTRIES by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 6, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi has made her first official trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, seeking to renew Indonesia's commitment to closer relations and cooperation with them.

       The minister commenced her visit to PNG on Feb. 26 and proceeded to the Solomon Islands on Feb. 29, continuing forward to Fiji on March 1.

       Economic cooperation is the main focus of talks with these Pacific nations' officials. "Although the value of economic ties with these countries is relatively low, the trend has been improving over the past few years," the ministry's spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, said recently, prior to the minister's visit.

        The minister focused in particular on developing greater cooperation between the private sector companies of Indonesia and these Pacific countries to explore wide-open opportunities for trade and investment.

        The visit is also expected to improve connectivity between the Pacific nations and Indonesia, which acts as a gateway to the ASEAN countries for them.

         Technical cooperation between Indonesia and the Pacific countries was also discussed. While such cooperation already exists, Indonesia seeks to enhance it, having already provided US$20 million worth of assistance in this area.

         PNG, which shares a land border with Indonesia's Papua Province, was the first stop on the minister's three-nation trip.

         Minister Marsudi and PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato, in their bilateral meeting on Feb. 27, discussed ways and means to further strengthen cooperation between PNG and Indonesia within the framework of the Comprehensive Partnership established in 2013.

         The two ministers emphasized the need to intensify efforts to increase trade, including in the border market, according to a statement posted by the Indonesian foreign ministry on its official website.

        Although bilateral trade grew at a rate of 18.73 percent between 2009 and 2013, the ministers stressed that there are still ample opportunities to be explored. To this end, they will intensify efforts to encourage the private sector to undertake greater cross-border trade and investment.

       They also discussed efforts to increase cross-border tourism and business through greater connectivity by enhancing the air transport link, improving the road infrastructure in the border area, and providing visas on arrival.

        The ministers welcomed the planned official launch this year of the Indonesia-PNG border plaque and the Border Development Agency Office at the Skouw-Wutung border.

         On regional issues, Minister Marsudi reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to supporting PNG's chairmanship of APEC in 2018, as endorsed by the APEC Leaders' Declaration in Beijing last year.

        She paid a courtesy call to the prime minister of PNG, Peter O'Neill.

        O'Neill hailed Indonesia's proposal to boost open communication with PNG through the establishment of a hotline to connect the two countries' foreign ministers.

        On the second leg of her trip that brought her to the Solomon Islands, Minister Marsudi and her counterpart Milner Tozaka discussed ways and means to further strengthen cooperation between their two countries, particularly in the area of economics and people-to-people contact.

        They underlined the need to expedite the conclusion of a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), particularly those dealing with development cooperation, visa exemption for diplomatic and service passports, and cooperation in the field of education, the ministry's statement noted.

        The two ministers recognized the significant untapped potential for trade between their countries.

        They noted that between 2009 and 2013, their bilateral trade had only grown at a rate of 6.3 percent per year. In this context, they agreed to redouble efforts to encourage the private sector to seize opportunities available in both countries.

        On the subject of people-to-people contact, the ministers praised the various capacity building and technical cooperation programs that have been undertaken. Some 22 capacity building programs have been conducted in areas such as education, fisheries, agriculture, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) since 2014.

        The minister also paid a courtesy call to the deputy prime minister of the Solomon Islands, Douglas Ete.

        At her first official bilateral meeting with her Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, in Nadi, Fiji, on March 1, Minister Marsudi discussed efforts to enhance economic cooperation and people-to-people contact, particularly through capacity building and technical assistance. The ministers also discussed the possibility of holding the first Joint Ministerial Commission in August 2015.

          They emphasized the significant untapped potential for trade between Fiji and Indonesia, which has so far reached a value of $26.2 million.

        Both ministers agreed to boost investment and trade cooperation in the area of fisheries and agriculture processing and to enhance marketing cooperation for various countries' national products.

        In the area of people-to-people contact, some 13 capacity building programs have been rolled out in fields such as education, fisheries, agriculture, women's empowerment, disaster management and democratization since 2014.

       Indonesia's minister also presented to Fijian Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Rosy Sofia Akbar a scallop-shell processing machine and a module for training SMEs to make seashell-based jewelry, which will be used later this year in Fiji.

        In fact, she presented similar scallop-shell processing machines to the officials of the Solomon Islands and PNG, which are among the member nations of the Indonesia-initiated Coral Triangle Initiative, one of the most biologically diverse (for marine life) and ecologically rich regions on earth.

        On regional issues, the Indonesian minister and her counterparts in the three Pacific nations agreed that as part of Indonesia's greater engagement in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), they would all strengthen communication on issues relating to the MSG.

        They also agreed to promote regular consultations, contacts, and the exchange of visits between Indonesia and MSG members.

        As part of the realization of Indonesia's commitment to the $20 million capacity building program for MSG countries, the ministers all agreed that a technical team will meet this year to further discuss areas in which capacity building programs can be applied to optimally contribute to the development of PNG, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.

         The ministers recognized that as countries with a common Melanesian cultural background and heritage, a close relationship based on mutual benefit and mutual respect for territorial integrity is of strategic importance.

        To demonstrate the Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration's commitment to close cooperation with the Pacific region, Indonesia will build a Melanesian cultural center.

        Finally, Minister Marsudi invited the leaders of the three Pacific nations to attend the 60th Commemoration of the Asian-African Conference and the 10th Anniversary of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, which will be held in Jakarta and Bandung on April 19-24 this year. ***2***
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