"The Portuguese president and I have agreed to increase the value of trade so that the two countries` bilateral trade relations will be stronger and balanced," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said when receiving visiting Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva at Merdeka Palace here on Tuesday.
He said trade between the two developing countries had been quite good and could still be increased. From 2010 to 2011 there was an increase of 58 percent to make the total value of the two countries` trade to reach US$171 million.
The two countries` delegations had also agreed to increase cooperation in the renewable energy sector, defense industry and other strategic industries.
In the political field, the two countries also agreed to deepen their friendly relations in various international forum.
Yudhoyono emphasized the importance of cooperation at the UN and increasing friendly relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union.
Indonesia and Portugal had also discussed cooperation in the fields of education, youth affairs, sports and mass media.
President Cavaco Silva welcomed the cooperation proposals presented by President Yudhoyono. He said Indonesia and Portugal have huge potentials for cooperation in various sectors.
"As a Portuguese president and for the Indonesian people I would take concrete friendly actions in the fields of economy, sciences, advanced technology and other fields that could complement each other well," he said.
He said he would also pay special attention to progressing cooperation between the two countries in various international forums.
During the state visit President Cavaco Silva are also scheduled to witness the signing of a number of memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various fields such as economy, social and culture and diplomatic visa.
This was the first visit by a Portuguese president to Indonesia since the two countries opened diplomatic relations in 1950. Indonesia`s first president Soekarno visited Portugal in 1960.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
