The opportunities are very big and they must be followed up concretely."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo will assign a special minister to deal with all affairs related to Indonesia-Italy relations.

"I told President (Sergio) Mattarela just now that I would assign a minister specially to deal with Indonesia-Italy affairs in the fields of economy, trade and investment," he said after receiving the visiting President of Italy at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

He said the minister would be assigned to follow up on every development happening in the investment, trade and economic relations between Indonesia and Italy.

"The opportunities are very big and they must be followed up concretely," he said.

President Joko Widodo said any opportunity, be it very small, must be followed up since the two countries relationship offered huge opportunities.

He said cooperation opportunities with Italy are very big, including in the fields of furniture, fashion and renewable energy.

"These are big opportunities and so a minister could focus on these to follow up," he said.

As of now, he did not name the minister to be assigned for the purpose, saying the name has "not yet (been decided), later."

During the visit of President Sergio Mattarella, Indonesia and Italy agreed on total contracts worth around US$1.055 billion.

The two heads of state discussed four main issues, including increasing cooperation in leather industry, fashion, furniture, cooperation in tourism, cooperation in energy including the use of Crude Palm Oil as one of the renewable energy sources and cooperation in the field of inter-faith dialogue.

Trade between the two countries in 2014 reached US$4.01 billion while Italys investment in Indonesia reached US$63.02 million.

The number of Italian tourists to Indonesia has reached 68,000.

Indonesia and Italy have also signed two cooperation documents for a visa-free facility for diplomatic and official passport holders and in the field of tourism.

(Reporting by Joko Susilo/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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