ID :
502816
Wed, 08/29/2018 - 04:58
Auther :

Come 2020, Indonesia Confident Of Achieving US$30 Billion Bilateral Trade Target - Envoy

By Tengku Faezah Tengku Yusof KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Indonesia is confident of achieving the bilateral trade target of US$30 billion with Malaysia by 2020, via various sectors, especially tourism and the proposed collaboration for an ASEAN car. In this context, Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdi Kirana has proposed the creation of ‘sister cities’ between cities in Malaysia and Indonesia, to further promote tourism, cultural and commercial ties. “How to get Malaysian tourists to Indonesia and vice-versa, has been stated time and again. We should target for the third market (beyond the Malaysia-Indonesia tourism market) to promote our (Malaysia-Indonesia) tourism. “I am suggesting to connect a city each between Malaysia and Indonesia, a package for the tourists to visit two countries at a much cheaper price,” he told Bernama before attending the Bernama News Channel's (BNC) Bernama Today programme at the news agency's headquarters here Tuesday. Through the effort, the ‘sister cities’ can target tourists from China, Japan, South Korea and many other countries, giving them a chance to visit both countries, instead only one. Rusdi listed out possible sister cities such as Medan-Penang, Kota Kinabalu-Manado, Kuala Lumpur-Jogjakarta, and Johor Bahru-Bandung. “Working together (with Malaysia) is easier, rather than other countries because we are the closest neighbours and we share almost the same culture,” he noted. Meanwhile, commenting on the proposed collaboration to produce an ASEAN car between Malaysia and Indonesia, Rusdi noted that it would, among others, help to boost the economy of the two ASEAN member countries through job creation. “Efforts undertaken to produce the car will indicate that ASEAN is capable of building its very own car and no longer depends on other countries,” he pointed out. With ASEAN’s population at more than 635 million people, the purchasing power for vehicles would also increase, he noted. It was reported earlier that the joint effort between Proton (a Malaysia-based corporation active in automobile design, manufacturing, distribution and sales) and Indonesia to produce an ASEAN car was revived following talks between Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in June. Rusdi said the US$30 billion bilateral trade would remain merely a ‘pipe dream’ if both sides (Malaysia and Indonesia) did not work in unison. Edited by Gerald Raja -- BERNAMA

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