REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L. P. Marsudi held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from the three friendly countries of Papua New Guinea, Norway, and China.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by Antara here on Wednesday, she met with them on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

During the bilateral meeting with the minister from Papua New Guinea, the government of Indonesia expressed its appreciation for the support the country extended for Indonesia's membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Both sides agreed that in the framework of the MSG, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea will prioritize cooperation in the economic and developmental fields.

In addition, cooperation in the form of Indonesian language education in schools in the neighboring country was also agreed upon. This will be implemented by assigning Indonesian teachers in Papua New Guinea.

Furthermore, during the bilateral meeting between Minister Marsudi and Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Børge Brende, they agreed to follow-up on the fundraising collaboration for education through the Commission Funding for Global Education Opportunity.

The governments of Indonesia and Norway also agreed to continue discussions on the deal to offer free visas for those holding diplomatic and service passports.

Moreover, during the bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, the two sides discussed several subjects, including the South China Sea issue.

They were in agreement that maintaining peace and stability in the region was the common interest that needed to be encouraged.

The Indonesian minister reiterated that all sides must take steps to reduce the lack of trust among countries in the region.

Both ministers also believe that there was a requirement for more in-depth discussions over the elements needed to implement the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and to continue to encourage the implementation of the Declaration of Ethics in the South China Sea.

In addition, to improve bilateral relations, the two ministers decided to establish a Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Indonesia and China at the foreign ministerial level this year.

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