RI, SLOVAKIA AGREE TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS COOPERATION

Jakarta, March 29 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian and Slovakian governments have agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and business.

Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa signed the agreement here on Monday.

"The bilateral relations between Indonesia and Slovakia can be concluded as very good and positive," said Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa after the agreement signing ceremony.

Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak is on a visit to Indonesia from 29 to 30 March, 2010. During his stay in Jakarta, he is scheduled to hold meetings among others with Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa.

In a joint press conference, both ministers expressed the need for both countries to enhance economy cooperation, especially to help overcome the global financial crisis.
Based on data of the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the Indonesian-Slovakian bilateral trade volume is not significant yet, but it has shown an increasing trend since 2004.

The bilateral trade value reached US$73.3 million in 2009, up 16 percent from that in the previous year.

The Indonesian and Slovakian governments have also agreed to hold the second joint commission meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia on April 29-30, 2010.

On the occasion, both ministers also shared their views on a number of global and regional issues that come to mutual concerns.

Both ministers were also scheduled to officially open "The Role of the UN in Multidimensional Peace keeping Operation and Post conflict Peace Building: Towards an ASEAN Perspective," workshop to be held in Jakarta until Tuesday (March 30).