The statement was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L. P. Marsudi following a bilateral meeting with her Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter here on Monday.
During the bilateral meeting, the two ministers discussed plans to begin negotiations on the MLA agreement.
"The first stage of negotiations over the cooperative agreement on mutual legal assistance will be held in April. We will push for the deal to be implemented this year," Marsudi said.
According to the Indonesian minister, MLA is important for the country because it would serve as a basic deal to seize, freeze, and restore the assets of criminals.
With regard to the investigation, prosecution and execution of criminals, the MLA agreement between Indonesia and Switzerland will send a message to the international community that the two countries are committed to combating transnational crime.
Furthermore, spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry Arrmanatha Nasir noted that the initial stage of the negotiations over the MLA agreement will be conducted in early April.
"Through mutual legal assistance, we can help each other in terms of law enforcement," he affirmed.
"The negotiations will commence in April. Both nations agree that they should expedite the process," he remarked.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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