Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and visiting Timor Lester President Francisco Guterres L? Olo agreed in a meeting on Thursday to promote trade and investment cooperation.

At the meeting held on Thursday at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, around 60 kilometers south of here, Jokowi told Guterres that Indonesia is committed to continuing to become partner in Timor Lester`s economic development.

The two leaders agreed to expand bilateral relations mainly in trade and investment, Jokowi said.

"I expressed Indonesia`s commitment to continuing as a loyal partner in economic development in Timor Leste," Jokowi told reporters after the meeting.

There are nine Indonesian state companies and more than 400 private companies operating in the neighboring countries with investment more than US$595 million.

President Jokowi said he hopes Timor Leste could guarantee provide legal certainty to protect the Indonesian investment.

"Therefore, we agreed to start negotiation and reached an agreement to promote and protect investment and agreement on avoidance of double taxation. I am confident the government of President L? Olo would continue to provide security and legal certainty for Indonesian investment," President Jokowi said.

Jokowi and Guterres also discussed the construction of the Motaain bridge to contribute to facilitating communications between the two countries.

The bridge is important in contribution to economic cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Jokowi said Indonesia also welcomes the opening of flight route between Kupang in the Indonesian part of the Timor island and Dili, the capital city of Timor Leste.

The flight route is operational after 10 years of negotiations, Jokowi said.

The Indonesian President said Indonesian state land transport company Perum Damri is ready to handle land transport across the border between Kupang and Dili.

The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste also agreed to expand cooperation in the educational sector and human resources development. Many Timor Leste students and school children want to continue studies in Indonesia.

President L? Olo expressed thanks for the support given by Indonesia in Timor Leste`s bid for membership in ASEAN.

The Timor Leste`s President said he hopes that the presidential election in Indonesia in 2019 would be a success.

"Timor Leste is thankful for the continued support given by Indonesia that Timor Leste would be accepted as new member of ASEAN," he said.

The visit to Indonesia was the first foreign visit by the Timor Leste leader after his election as President in 2017.

"This is an honor for Indonesia. I am informed that this visit is the first abroad by Your Excellency abroad," Jokwi said at the meeting.

Jokowi said as a major development partner for Timor Leste, Indonesia is interested in preserving and strengthening friendship between the two countries.

He said he was confident under the leadership of President L? Olo, relations between Indonesia and Timor Leste would be stronger.

"I have strong interest in the friendship between Indonesia and Timor Leste - a friendship that looks forward to better welfare of the peoples` of the two countries in the future," he said.

Jokowi also expressed appreciation for support given by Timor Leste in Indonesian bid for non permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council. In early June 2018, Indonesia was elected as a non permanent member of the U.N. Security council.

"Thanks God, the support contributed to Indonesia winning the election on June 8, 2018 at the U.N. headquarters in New York," Jokowi said.

Before starting the bilateral talks, President Jokowi and President Guterres planted trees at the garden of presidential palace, accompanied by First Ladies Iriana Joko Widodo and Cid?lia Lopes.

Deputy for Presidential Protocol, Press and Media Secretariat Bey Machmudin said the two leaders planted the "barringtonia asiatica" tree known in the country as keben tree.

In Indonesia, keben tree is seen as a symbol of peace, Bey said, adding the planting of the tree , therefore, is an expression of spirit to preserve peace.

The two presidents, then held t?te-?-t?te meeting followed by a meeting between delegations of the two countries.

President Guterres and Ms Cid?lia Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres, arrived at 10.08 local time in Bogor with school students raising the flags ofttwo countries welcoming the state guests besides the Indonesian President and officials .

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Indonesia is the first foreign country visited by President Timor Leste Francisco Guterres as a president.

Nasir said the presidents of the two countries discussed wide ranging issues mainly bilateral cooperation and intensification of "people-to-people contact".

President Jokowi and President Guterres discussed expansion of cooperation in infrastructure development, energy, finance , banking and tourism cooperation , he said.

So far there are nine Indonesian state companies and hundreds of Indonesian private companies operating in Timor Leste.

"That indicates close economic cooperation between the two countries," he said.

Timor Leste was formerly a province of Indonesia before it gained independence through referendum.

Reporter: Agus Salim
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
Copyright © ANTARA 2018