RI, Turkey agree to increase bilateral trade

Antara News, Tuesday, June 29, 2010 21:58 WIB

Ankara (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Turkey agreed to step up their bilateral trade from its current value at US$2.1 billion to US$5 billion over the next few years.

Turkish president Abdullah Gul and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made the statement in a press conference after meeting at the Turkish presidential palace here on Tuesday.

"Indonesia is not only a country with majority Moslem population but also a country which is rich in natural resources and economic potentials. I even believe the US$5 billion target could grow to US$10 billion," President Gul said.

He said that would be possible because of the Turkish characteristics which are similar to those of Indonesians and because the psychological relationship between the two nations was of very long standing.

President Gul said now a Turkish airline had also opened a flight service between Jakarta and Istanbul enabling Asian people to go to Europe and vice versa.

President Gull said visa cooperation between the two countries cooperation would be stepped up to become a free visa cooperation to promote visits between the two countries.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono meanwhile said he believed the US$5 billion trade target would be achieved in view of the current economic relations between the two countries.

"We are also inviting investors from Turkey to invest in various sectors such as geothermal energy, trade, economy and others," he said.

President Yudhoyono said the eight agreements that had been signed would open a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.

"Let us open a new chapter in the relations that keep increasing," he said.

President Gul said "President Yudhoyono`s visit to Turkey would not be merely symbolic but was very important."

After the meeting the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of politics, defense industry, small and medium businesses, joint programs to increase investment and in news exchange bewteen state television station TVRI and Tukish television.