Indonesia and Liberia have expressed their commitment to enhance and intensify bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

The two countries have nurtured warm friendship and close bilateral ties even before the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1965.

In a bilateral meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at Merdeka Palace here on Monday, the two leaders agreed to step up the two countries` cooperation.

Sirleaf is in Indonesia to reciprocate a visit to Monrovia by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono late January 2013 as the first visit of an Indonesian president to Liberia.

"I hope this reciprocal visit will improve the two countries cooperation in various fields," President Yudhoyono said.

The Indonesian president noted that Indonesia and Liberia have a good basis of cooperation, and that the visit to Indonesia by his Liberian counterpart could make it even faster.

After the bilateral meeting, two memorandums of understanding (MoU) on the cooperation in the fields of industry and trade were signed in the presence of Presidents Yudhoyono and Sirleaf.

President Yudhoyono noted that a number of agreements have been implemented both by the ministries of both countries and private parties.

He said the cooperation would be directed to trade and investment because Indonesia wanted to encourage greater investment in Liberia in the fields of agriculture, marine and fisheries, and industry.

"We want to increase rice productivity, technical cooperation in industrial product, and trade promotion. We also agree to cooperate in education and human resources," President Yudhoyono said.

Meanwhile, the Liberian President and Nobel Peach Price Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said her reciprocal state visit to Indonesia could step up cooperation between the two countries.

"I hope there will be an improvement in our cooperation," the Liberian head of state said.

Sirleaf noted that since the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during President Yudhoyono`s visit to Monrovia, a lot of follow-up to the agreement has been made.

She expressed hope that cooperation in various fields could continue to be stepped up for the advantages of the two countries.

During the visit to Monrovia by President Yudhoyono, the countries signed an MoU to establish a joint commission for bilateral cooperation.

The MoU was signed by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his Liberian counterpart Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan on behalf of their respective governments.

The joint commission was to facilitate consultation and cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, cultural, tourism, financial, scientific, technology, agriculture and other technical sectors.

At the time, Presidents Yudhoyono and Sirleaf also welcomed the investment cooperation between the two countries particularly the investment projects made by Indonesian companies and by some Liberian companies in Indonesia.

To further enhance bilateral economic cooperation, both leaders agreed that the relevant ministries/agencies of the two countries would work together to open up window of opportunities for intensified trade and investment cooperation involving the private sectors of both countries.

President Yudhoyono during the visit to Monrovia also expressed his country`s readiness to offer technical support such as training in agriculture, including rice production, fishery, rubber processing, aqua-culture, furniture production and small and medium enterprise (SME).

The two Presidents also agreed for Liberia and Indonesia to appoint honorary consuls in an effort to further consolidate bilateral economic cooperation as well as to provide consular services and visas.

At the time the two presidents spoke highly of the friendly relations and cooperation between Africa and Asia, and expressed their willingness to work together to promote the New Asia-Africa Strategic Partnership.

President Sirleaf particularly praised Indonesia`s commitment to a stronger partnership with Africa; while reiterating their support for a global order based on political independence, freedom, justice and long-lasting peace among nations.

During a workshop in Bandung, West Java last Friday, secretary general of the industry ministry Anshari Bukhari said Liberia has offered Indonesia to invest in furniture, textile and food manufacturing industries in that western African country.

"They hope our companies to invest in Liberia," Anshari said, adding that Industry Minister MS Hidayat met with visiting Liberian counterpart at the head of a delegation in Jakarta on Thursday.

Anshari said the offer was made with the country`s competence in the three industries.

He pointed out that Liberia has in abundance basic materials for the three industries.

"They have timber basic materials for furniture and cotton for textiles industries," he said.

According to him, investors could also gain from Liberian preferential tariff for exports to the United States.

Meanwhile, presidential special staff for international relations Teuku Faizasyah said earlier on Thursday that Sirleaf`s visit to Indonesia would be an opportunity for the two heads of state

to closely monitor the progress of the implementation of various agreements which had been reached.

According to him, the visit to Indonesia by the Liberian president was considered important to ensure that the two countries cooperation has been on the right track and to continue to be optimized

Source: ANTARA