At the forum, Foreign Minister Marsudi and Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy deliberated along with British Deputy Prime Minister David Lidington and British Asia-Pacific Affairs Minister Mark Field, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry noted in a statement here on Wednesday.
Indonesia and the United Kingdom have concurred on intensifying bilateral relations across several sectors, including England's support to improve the quality of human resources through education.
The partnership was a follow-up to the government's priority under President Joko Widodo's leadership that prioritizes human resource improvement.
Indonesia and the United Kingdom share a special, broad, tight, and dynamic relationship, with both nations unified by similar values and historical backgrounds.
“This meeting laid specific emphasis on enhancing partnership in the areas of trade, investment, education, and cybersecurity," Minister Marsudi added.
Apart from deliberating on partnership in the education sector, the forum also discussed other prioritized sectors, such as potential economic partnership and trade agreement following the United Kingdom's decision to exit the European Union (EU).
The United Kingdom also reiterated Indonesia's position as its strategic partner, particularly in tackling terrorism, climate change, and the rising trend of global intolerance.
An agreement was also reached to revitalize the Joint Working Group on Creative Economy to deepen partnership in the creative economy sector between both nations.
To implement partnership in the prioritized sectors, both nations' foreign affairs ministers inked a memorandum of understanding in the maritime sector, agreeing to the formation of the Bilateral Maritime Forum (BMF) that will serve as a medium to step up collaboration in handling maritime issues. This is in accordance with the government's priorities pertaining to making Indonesia a global maritime fulcrum.
“I also particularly raised numerous international issues that should be of common interest, such as those concerning Palestine, Afghanistan, and Rakhine State," Minister Marsudi remarked.
Both countries also concurrently held their first dialog on the defense sector at the forum.
The Partnership Forum, initially organized in 2007, was chaired by the Indonesian foreign minister, and the Indonesian minister of defense was an invitee to it. It was a follow-up to the agreement reached by the heads of government of both countries in 2006 to boost bilateral relationship and hold strategic dialog on multilateral and global issues. EDITED BY INE
Translator: Fardah
Editor: Eliswan Azly
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
