REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam are eyeing to intensify their economic cooperation during the visit of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to Indonesia on May 2-4. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arrmanatha Nasir revealed during a press briefing here on Thursday that the trade value between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam had plummeted in the past five years.
In 2013, the two countries' trade value had reached some US$700 million, but in 2017, statistics indicated that their trade only reached $107 million, Nasir stated.
Indonesia's main export commodities to Brunei included palm oil, tin, cocoa, paper, and copper. Meanwhile, Indonesia imported several commodities from Brunei, such as machine appliances, flour, polymer, monitors, and projectors.
Sultan Bolkiah paid a state visit to President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace on Thursday. The Sultan's visit to Indonesia was a reciprocal gesture after President Widodo had visited the sultanate in 2015.
President Joko Widodo (left) shakes hand with Brunei Darussalam's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah after planting barringtonia asiatica in Bogor Palace, West Java, on Thursday (May 3).
The two countries will discuss bilateral cooperation in various fields, such as economy, trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts.
"Protection of Indonesian citizens living there is an important matter for Indonesia. We will discuss it," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi noted earlier on Wednesday.
Marsudi revealed that some 80 thousand Indonesians live in Brunei, with a total population of some 400 thousand.
Indonesia is currently drafting documents for a memorandum of understanding on the placement and protection of Indonesian workers to be later discussed by the two countries' foreign ministers.
On Monday (Apr 30), Minister Marsudi had received Brunei's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof to discuss the planned visit of Sultan Bolkiah to Indonesia.
Moreover, the two ministers had agreed to hold the 4th Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation as a forum of bilateral mechanism for them to review and formulate steps in strengthening bilateral cooperation between both nations.
In the fields of economy and trade, Indonesia and Brunei have agreed to develop Kalimantan through cooperation in the field of integrated land, sea, and air connectivity.
The two countries will also improve sub-regional economic cooperation through the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area.
Indonesia and Brunei are also committed to strengthening security cooperation, especially in countering terrorism, radicalism, and extremism, including foreign terrorist fighters.
The Sultan of Brunei was also scheduled to visit the Indonesian Military Headquarters in Cilangkap and attend an exhibition of Indonesia's strategic industries.
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