Increased bilateral cooperation has topped the agenda during talks between the Foreign Ministers of Solomon Islands and Indonesia last Saturday 28 February.
Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Hon. Retno Marsudi made a one-day visit to Solomon Islands where she held discussions with her Solomon Islands counterpart Hon. Milner Tozaka in Honiara.
The two leaders discussed how to increase cooperation between the two countries, particularly, through capacity building and technical support.
Both ministers agreed to accelerate a number Memorandum of Understandings (MOU’s) in various areas including development cooperation, visa exemption for diplomatic and passport services as well as cooperation in the education sector.
Hon. Marsudi’s visit to Solomon Islands was also to affirm Indonesia’s commitment to enhance cooperation and contribution towards development in the Pacific region.
The Foreign Affairs Ministers noted that there are several potential areas for cooperation between the two countries which is still to be utilized. As such the Ministers agreed to urge the private sector in the two countries to make use of the existing opportunities.
The two leaders also agreed to hold a technical team meeting in 2015 to discuss capacity building and cooperation that can be utilized for the development of Solomon Islands.
Both Ministers also praised the capacity building cooperation that has been done in 2014 after the opening of a Solomon Islands Embassy in Jakarta.
There are 22 programs on capacity building that have been implemented including in education, fishery, agriculture as well as the small and medium scale enterprise or SME’s.
Both Ministers also agreed to involve Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting by intensifying communication with regards to the MSG issues.
Minister Tozaka also invites Hon Retno Marsudi to attend the MSG Meeting in July 2015 in Honiara as an observer.
Hon. Retno also made a courtesy visit to Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Douglas Ete during the visit where the two leaders re-affirmed a shared commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Source: Press Release, Government Communications Unit