Saudi-Indonesia Panel to Discuss Cooperation

M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News

RIYADH, 10 June 2007 — Saudi Arabia and Indonesia will hold the first meeting of their joint parliamentary panel here today. The Saudi-Indo Inter-parliamentary Friendship Committee, which was constituted recently by the Shoura Council and the Indonesian Parliament, will discuss how to promote cooperation in the fields of parliamentary and legislative affairs as well as boost links in political and commercial sectors.

According to Yubil Septian, a spokesman for the Indonesian Embassy, the meeting of the panel of parliamentarians will focus mainly on forging further ties between the Shoura and the Indonesian Parliament. The meeting is also important in view of the fact the Indonesian government is currently awaiting the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah following an invitation extended earlier.

Referring to the parliamentarians’ meeting, the spokesman said that the meeting would be co-chaired by Jassem Al-Ansari, a Shoura member, and Ahmed Darodji, an Indonesian parliamentarian. Seventeen members of the Indonesian Parliament have already arrived to participate in the meeting while Speaker Agung Laksono will fly in today. The 17-member entourage does not include another group of 11 parliamentarians, who will join the delegation for bilateral talks.

He said that during their stay in the Kingdom the Indonesian delegation will hold talks with many senior Saudi officials including Minister of Economy and Planning Dr. Khaeld Al-Gosaibi and Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Saleh ibn Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh.

Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have forged closer relations in different sectors. The two countries are working on a proposal to set up a joint refinery project in Indonesia, according to a recent report. Jakarta is preparing the project proposal for a new Saudi-Indonesian refinery, which will be submitted to Saudi Aramco soon.

The only Asian member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Indonesia has been a net importer of crude oil. Pertamina, a wholly state-owned enterprise with 14 subsidiaries including Pertamina Energy Trading, is working on the project from Indonesian side.

The Kingdom has also extended aid and loans to Indonesia. The total amount of assistance received by Indonesia from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has exceeded $233.79 million since 1976. Since 1987, however, no project in Indonesia has been funded by the SFD.

The assistance made available by the Islamic Development Bank from 2003 to 2006 was about $288 million, mainly for educational projects, trade facilities, hospitals, customs capabilities and regional projects in Sumatra.