REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia has granted Brazilians visa-free entry for up to 30 days following a reciprocal agreement signed by the two foreign ministers. Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, received her Brazilian counterpart, Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, in Bogor, West Java Province, on Friday.

Three documents of cooperation were inked by Marsudi and Ferreira at their meeting, said a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two countries agreed on visa-free stay for up to 30 days for Indonesian and Brazilian regular passport holders, a visa-free policy for diplomatic and official passport holders, and an MoU on technical cooperation between the two countries.

Now, Indonesians can stay in Brazil for up to 30 days without a visa, and Brazilians can do the same in Indonesia.

"With the signing of the three documents, we hope there will be no barrier to us interacting and to people or officials visiting each other," said Marsudi.

Both ministers discussed improving cooperation in a number of fields such as trade, agriculture, and people-to-people contact.

Also Minister Ferreira delivered an apology letter from the Brazilian Government for the delay in the Brazilian President's state visit to Indonesia, which was expected to take place on May 10-12.

Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to improving Indonesia-Brazil and revitalising the strategic partnership.

The meeting was also used by Indonesia to eye a larger market in South America for its products such as fish, palm oil and rubber. Brazil is Indonesia's largest trade partner in South America. The value of the trade between the two countries in 2017 reached US$3.18 billion. In the same year, as many as 28,359 Brazilian visited the Southeast Asian country.

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