Indonesia`s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono offered the invitation when receiving French Prime Minister Francois Fillon at the presidential palace here on Friday after a meeting between the two countries` delegations.
"With regard to Indonesia`s plan to accelerate its economic development in the next 15 years, I invite France to create cooperation with its new partners," he said at a joint press conference.
According to the Indonesian government data, France is the 13th biggest investor in Indonesia with total accumulative investment in 20 years reaching US$2.5 billion.
"We have agreed to increase it significantly. The economy of the two countries keeps increasing and I believe the two countries could still increase it," he said.
President Yudhoyono said Indonesia has a new main plan of economic development acceleration and so opportunities are open for an international cooperation.
On the occasion, President Yudhoyono said the bilateral meeting between the two countries` delegations had gone constructively and productively.
The two countries agreed to increase cooperation and seek new opportunities in the years to come.
In the visit this time which was the first state visit by Prime Minister Francois Fillon to Indonesia the two heads of government agreed on the Joint Declaration on Indonesia-France Partnership.
The joint declaration will serve as a strong foundation for wider and more oriented cooperation between the two countries in the future.
In the visit Prime Minister Fillon was flanked by four ministers namely the minister of foreign trade, the minister of transportation, the minister of education, youth and sports, and the minister of culture and communications and a number of parliamentary members and around 20 business leaders.
Before the two held the press conference, they signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fields of energy and mineral resources, tourism, education, museum and volcanology.
In respect for their visit, President Yudhoyono held a state dinner for Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his delegation at the presidential palace.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
