INDONESIA, HUNGARY COMMITTED TO FOSTERING CLOSER ECONOMIC TIES by Fardah
Jakarta, Feb 4, 2016 (Antara) - The three-day official visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Indonesia has served as a momentum to strengthen commitment to forging closer economic ties between the two countries.
Orbán arrived in Jakarta on January 31 in the company of a large entourage that included Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Minister of National Economy Mihály Varga, Minister for National Development Miklós Seszták, and Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas. "We are a member country of the European Union, which perceives Indonesia as a big country, which is also a member of G-20. In our view, Indonesia is not only a country but a continent, which plays a very important role in the world," Orbán stated after holding a one-on-one meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the presidential State Palace in Jakarta on Feb. 1. Orbán believed that bilateral cooperation with Indonesia must be developed on the long term based on friendship and mutual understanding and benefits. He hinted at possible future cooperation including in the areas of agriculture, the IT sector, and water management. At present, Hungarian water management investments are being realized in 34 locations across Indonesia, he added. Jokowi remarked that Indonesia wanted to focus on intensifying bilateral cooperation with Hungary in various priority areas, including economic, water, and city management, agriculture, solar energy, and food processing. "Indonesia's bilateral cooperation with Hungary will grow stronger," he stated. Hungary is committed to strengthening cooperation with Indonesia as during the visit, his entourage comprised over half of Prime Minister Orbán's cabinet members and 50 businessmen, according to Jokowi. The Indonesian head of state offered investment opportunities to Hungarian businessmen in the five areas of water management, renewable energy, information technology, digital economy, and agriculture. "Indonesia welcomes Hungarian companies to invest in Central Tapanuli," Jokowi emphasized. Jokowi and Orbán witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements on a higher education exchange programme and cooperation in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture. Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti, who along with Hungarian Agriculture Minister Sandor Fazekas signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in aquaculture and fisheries, stated that the MoU could help improve market accessibility, particularly for ornamental fish. The cooperation will focus on the development of sustainable aquaculture and fisheries, exchange of information on market accessibility of fishery products, research and development, and capacity building through training, and the exchanges of experts and staff members. "It should be implemented as soon as possible to improve the management of ponds, fish food, and monitoring technology," Minister Pudjiastuti noted in a statement on Feb. 2. The prime minister also attended a business forum in the company of Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla where they witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements including on water management between PAL Jaya Jakarta and Budapest Waterworks, trade between the chambers of commerce and industry of both countries, as well as the dissemination of information between the Indonesian news agency, Antara, and the Hungarian news agency, Duna Media. The two countries agreed to intensify economic cooperation following an increase in their trade cooperation and evaluating the potentials of both nations, which had yet to be tapped maximally. The Hungarian prime minister invited Indonesian businessmen to come and invest in the country to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the future. "I invite Indonesian businessmen to come to Hungary to invest," Prime Minister Orbán stated at the Business and Investment Forum of Indonesia and Hungary. He said Indonesia has ample opportunities and huge potential, and Hungary clearly wants to cooperate. Hungary is Indonesia's seventh-largest trade partner in Central and East Europe. The trade balance reached US$149.29 million, comprising US$86.87 million from exports and US$62.42 million from imports, and with a surplus of US$24.45 million enjoyed by Indonesia in 2014. Hungary invested US$0.5 million in two tourism projects in Indonesia in 2014. The number of Hungarian tourists to Indonesia in 2014 reached 6,392, an increase of 18 percent from 5,232 in 2012. Based on data of the Eurostat study institute, the value of bilateral trade between Hungary and Indonesia during the 2010-2015 period reached the highest figure at 181.091 million euros in 2011. Indonesia's exports to Hungary increased by 3.68 percent from 95.05 million euros in 2013 to 112.40 million euros in 2014. The value of its imports from Hungary decreased by 18.53 percent from 31.17 million euros recorded in 2013 to 22.11 million euros in 2014. Indonesia recorded a significant increase in its exports to Hungary, from 36.12 million euros during the January-May 2014 period to 59.04 million euros in the corresponding period in 2015, or up 63.48 percent. Indonesia's export commodities to Hungary included electronic components, printing machines, and rubber, among others, while its main import commodities comprised telecommunication devices, machinery, and antibiotics, among others. On the other hand, Indonesian imports from Hungary include telecommunications equipment components, generators, engines and antibiotics. General Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Rosan P. Roeslani stated during the business forum that the two countries also tried to step up investment cooperation. Roeslani expressed hope that there would be direct flights between Indonesia to Hungary in an effort to step up trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Economy Minister Mihaly Varga expressed his country's commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with Indonesia to support economic growth in both countries. "We see Indonesia as an important partner in the region," Varga affirmed on February 2. According to the minister, the prospects of mutually beneficial economic relations between Indonesia and Hungary are apparent from the trade volume between both nations in 2015, which reached US$139 million. Meanwhile, Indonesia views Hungary as a gateway to enter the European Union (EU) and Central European markets for its products and commodities. "Hungary is a strategic country to access the EU and Central Europe," Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson, Arrmanatha Nasir, noted during a press briefing prior to Orbán's visit. Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Hungary were established in 1955, and the Indonesian diplomatic representative office was opened in Budapest in 1962. In the education field, the Hungarian government has offered scholarships to Indonesian students planning on continuing their studies in Hungary. "I have discussed our offer with the president to award scholarships to Indonesian students to study in Hungary," Orbán informed the press. In the early stage, the government of Hungary will offer scholarships to 50 Indonesian students. The scholarship is expected to further strengthen cooperation between Indonesia and Hungary in future. ***3*** (f001/INE) EDITED BY INE/a014
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