I also laud the consistent stance of Papua New Guinea government and PM Marape in respecting Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked four ministries, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), as well as businesspersons to carry out trade and investment cooperation with Papua New Guinea.

He issued the directive while making a press statement welcoming the official visit of the Prime Minister (of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, and his wife, Rachael Marape, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java province, on Thursday.

The press conference was broadcast online on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

The establishment of a bilateral investment agreement between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is important, Jokowi said.

Hence, he assigned State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, as well as Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi to assist investors from the two countries.

In addition, the President also emphasized the importance of connectivity between the two countries via land, sea, and air.

Thus, Indonesian construction companies are expected to explore opportunities regarding the establishment of transportation facilities and infrastructure in Papua New Guinea.

Regarding the bilateral meeting, the President expressed his gratitude and respect for Marape who has continued to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I also laud the consistent stance of Papua New Guinea government and Prime Minister Marape in respecting Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Marape said that he looks forward to the implementation and follow-up of the bilateral cooperation, which has been built both at the government and corporate levels.

"We want to increase more collaboration, especially on commercial and business sectors. For a long time, we have only focused on border issues. However, my discussion with the President (Jokowi) has become more focused on the trade, public services, and education," he added.
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Translator: Mentari Gayati, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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