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Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi received her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan at the Foreign Affairs Ministry building in Jakarta today, January 13. This meeting between the two ministers is their second after the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November last year.
For Mr. Balakrishnan, this is his introductory visit to Indonesia since he was appointed as Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister in October 2015. In the meeting, the two ministers talked about a number of important issues.
“The relationship between Indonesia and Singapore is one of the most intensive bilateral ties due to our geographic proximity and tight work relations,” Minister Retno said in an official statement on Wednesday, January 13.
The ministers talked about how to enhance economic ties between the two nations. One way is through agribusiness exports.
“Singapore needs this product, while Indonesia has the capacity. The geographic proximity between the two countries is a potential than can be brought closer,” the minister said.
Indonesia and Singapore are planning to hold agribusiness collaborations in the fields of cool storage and infrastructure standard.
The two ministers also discussed about the potential for a partnership in the manpower sector. Minister Retno said that, in the future, Indonesia will enhance the quality of skilled workers – particularly in fields with high demands such as therapists, caregivers, and other.
The meeting was also spent talking about regional cooperation, ASEAN in particular, and the plan for Singapore’s Prime Minister to visit Indonesia.
In addition to meeting Minister Retno, Mr. Balakrishnan’s trip to Indonesia also included an honorary visit to President Joko WIdodo and Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister of Law and Human Rights.
Singapore is Indonesia’s second largest trading partner after China. In 2014, the trading value between Indonesia and Singapore reached US$42 billion.
In terms of investment, Singapore is Indonesia’s biggest investor. In 2014, Singapore’s investment actualization in Indonesia valued at US$5.8 billion. Singapore is also Indonesia’s largest contributor of foreign tourists, with more than 1.5 million Singaporeans visiting Indonesia per year on average.
