Closer cooperation following Yudhoyono`s visit

The recent visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono to Stockholm has resulted in closer bilateral relations between Indonesia and Sweden as the two nations have agreed on intensified cooperation in at least five areas. 

President Yudhoyono`s two-day state visit (May 28-29) to Sweden, which is his first to the Scandinavian country, was at the invitation of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus, who visited Indonesia in January 2012. 

King Carl XVI Gustaf was in Indonesia in his capacity as the chairman of the World Scout Foundation and at the invitation of the Indonesian Scout Movement to receive an honorary award from President Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono is the second Indonesian president to visit Sweden after former president Soekarno on May 3-5, 1959.

Yudhoyono and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in their bilateral meeting in Stockholm agreed to strengthen cooperation in five areas, namely trade, investment, education, tourism and environment and climate change, plus in health and peace keeping operations as initiated by the Indonesian head of state. 

In the economic cooperation, Prime Minister Reinfeldt told Yudhoyono that more Swedish companies would invest in Indonesia.

"The Swedish business have been in Indonesia for quite long time. They know its good. And they will continue to invest in Indonesia" the Prime Minister stated.

The realization of Swedish investment in Indonesia in 2012 reached US$5.2 million with 11 projects. It increased four times compared with that in the previous year which was US$916 thousand with nine projects.

In the trade field, Sweden is an important partner of Indonesia with their two-way trade recording the highest among the Scandinavian countries.

Over the last five years, the two countries trade showed an upward trend and reached 6.91 percent.

Total trade between Indonesia and Sweden in 2012 stood at US$1.46 billion, up 28 percent from a year earlier which was US$1.05 billion.

Following the bilateral meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Urban Development by Indonesian Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Swedish Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling.

The two ministers signed the MoU on Sustainable Urban Development includig waste management;Letter of Intend (LoI) on environment cooperation including concerning climate change; LoI on health cooperation; and LoI on technology innovation which includes exchanges of experts and academicians.

Indonesia and Sweden agreed to strengthen cooperation in various sectors such as education, technology and environment, Presidential Staff for International Affairs Teuku Faizasyah said in Stockholm on May 8, 2013.

Yudhoyono and Reinfeldt in their meeting also discussed issues on ethnic harmony, religious tolerance and protecting the minorities of which Sweden and Indonesia have possessed a lot of experiences. 

They agreed that more cooperation could be explored to share Sweden and Indonesia`s experience in fostering democracy, Islam and modernity.

"The growing bilateral ties between Indonesia and Sweden are based, among other, on the shared values of democracy and human rights. Having transformed itself into the world`s third largest democracy in the past decade, Indonesia has won the praises of 

foreign pundits as a living proof where democracy, Islam, and modernity can thrive together. Certainly, our journey towards reform and democracy has not been without challenges. But Indonesia today has emerged stronger, more united, and more secure" Yudhoyono stated when attending a Royal State Luncheon hosted by the Swedish King and Queen.

Yudhoyono and his entourage met with a group of around 10 leading Swedish business leaders in Stockholm before leaving that country for New York. 

He received CEOs and directors of top Swedish companies such as IKEA, Ericsson, Industrievarden AB, Scania, SEK-International Financing, Scandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB), and SAAB AB. 

The companies operate in environmentally friendly technology, health equipment, transport, geothermal energy and communications technology industries.

Industry Minister MS Hidayat, a member of the presidential entourage, said leading Swedish business leaders planned to visit Indonesia in June 2013 to look for investment opportunities.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Suryo Bambang Sulistyo, who also joined Yudhoyono`s entourage, said the Indonesian success in maintaining a healthy economic growth amid the global slump had attracted the Swedish business leaders.

Suryo said President Yudhoyono told the Swedish businessmen that the Indonesian government would help if they found hurdles in seeking to invest in Indonesia.

He said Kadin also would be ready to lend help such as in seeking local partners. 

According to the Kadin chairman, Sweden is superior in certain sectors such as in environmentally friendly technology and forestry. The Swedish agreed to transfer their technology if they operate in Indonesia, he said.

In a joint press conference on the historic visit, President Yudhoyono said "Indonesia wants to be a partner and friend of Sweden in the hope that Sweden will share its experiences in many sectors, so the two countries' cooperation will be better in the future.

Source: ANTARA