VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 12 - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Qatari Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Syekh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha on Thursday to discuss bilateral and regional cooperation.

During the meeting, the two foreign ministers agreed to forge bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic field, with an emphasis on investments in the telecommunication, tourism, and electricity sectors.

"We must continue to drive the economic cooperation between the two countries to be able to expedite the economic recovery process in the wake of the pandemic," Marsudi said in the written statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

Trade between Indonesia and Qatar continued to increase by 11.53 percent during the 2015-2019 period. Meanwhile, Qatari investment in Indonesia in the past three years focused on the tourism and energy sectors.

In 2020, Qatar's investment in Indonesia was valued at US$6.2 million, an over 30-fold increase compared to 2018.

During their meeting, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on several regional issues, particularly the peace process in Afghanistan.

They agreed on the importance of international support to maintain the momentum of the peace process in the country.

They also agreed that the peace process will run faster than expected and therefore, a high commitment from all sides is needed, Marsudi stated.

Meanwhile, Qatar praised Indonesia for its attention to the role of women in Afghanistan.

"Women's role must always be prioritized both in the peace process and the development of Afghanistan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic," Marsudi remarked.

The two ministers also discussed the issue of Palestine, particularly with regard to the meeting of Arab League foreign ministers. (Antaranews)