REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that the country's relations with Saudi Arabia were not only about migrant workers and Hajj pilgrimage but transcends these areas, according to the foreign ministry's press statement.
She made the statement at a press conference after meeting her Saudi counterpart, Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the ministers highlighted cooperation opportunities between the two countries in various fields and also discussed several strategic issues apart from manpower and the Hajj pilgrimage that have so far dominated the relations between the two nations.
She remarked that as members of the G-20 that are undergoing rapid growth, the two countries could mutually benefit by tapping into each other's areas of potential.
In the field of infrastructure, massive development projects are now being undertaken by Saudi Arabia in various regions, thereby unveiling opportunities for Indonesian companies with expertise in the fields of toll road construction, railway development, and building construction, Minister Retno remarked.
She stated that Indonesia meanwhile also urged the Saudi businessmen to diversify their investments in Indonesia to cover agriculture and maritime infrastructure.
Regarding opportunities for Indonesian products to enter the Gulf markets, especially Saudi Arabia, the two ministers agreed to explore possibilities for establishing strategic partnership between Indonesia and the Gulf Cooperation Council members.
The two officials also agreed to strengthen the Indonesia-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission mechanism with regular foreign ministerial-level meetings.
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have established a cooperation framework in the form of the Joint Commission Meeting in 1982 aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in various areas including trade and investment cooperation.
Saudi Arabia is one of Indonesia's most important trade partners in the Gulf region. In 2014, the value of trade between the two countries reached US$8.67 billion.
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