RI and China agree to renegotiate Tangguh LNG contract

Beijing (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and China have agreed that their technical teams will meet in the near future to renegotiate their Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract. 

The agreement was reached in a bilateral meeting between visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People here on Thursday. 

In the 20-minute meeting, President Yudhoyono mentioned Indonesia`s intention to renegotiate the LNG Tangguh price in the contract with the government of China`s Fujian province. 

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said the two countries` leaders did not discuss the LNG contract in detail during their meeting. 

But President Yudhoyono told President Hu Jintao that Indonesia`s negotiating team, led by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, would visit Beijing, China, for the renegotiation. 

"Our negotiating team will come to Beijing in the near future to renegotiate the Tangguh LNG contract," Dino said. 

He added the Chinese government understood Indonesia`s position in the renegotiation process. 

"With the arrival of Indonesia`s negotiating team in Beijing later, it means they are ready to discuss the matter," Dino said. 

He said in the bilateral meeting, Yudhoyono and Hu agreed that in spite of the global financial crisis, the concessionary loan program China had initiated for Indonesia would continue. 

According to Dino, President Hu Jintao wanted Indonesia-China cooperation in infrastructure projects maintained and continued at bilateral, regional and international level. 

President Yudhoyono for his part wanted cooperation with China stepped up in the field of energy, especially in the construction of power plants under China`s concessionary loan program. 

On the occasion, President Yudhoyono also invited President Hu to come to Indonesia in an effort to develop the two countries strategic cooperation. 

In the bilateral meeting, President Yudhoyono was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil, Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, State Minister for Environmental Affairs Rachmat Witoelar, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar, and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Vice Chairman Irman Gusman.