VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia and the UK agreed to revive the forum or partnership forum. The forum was a meeting place for ministers from both countries to discuss a number of bilateral cooperation. The agreement was reached when the Indonesian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, AM Fachir, and the British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mark Field, held a bilateral meeting at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, Tuesday, August 14, 2018. According to Fachir, the bilateral mechanisms between the two countries which are quite large in various fields, can be used to view and seek efforts to improve cooperation in various fields.

"We also agreed, among others, that it would revive the partnership forum. Where a number of ministers will meet in an effort to review various collaborations. Because our bilateral mechanism is quite a lot in various fields. And because of that there is a need to see as well as seeking efforts, ways to increase cooperation in these various fields," saaid A.M. Fachir.

Fachir added, in addition to reviving the cooperation forum, the two countries also agreed on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partnerships that has already existed between Indonesia and the European Union. The agreement provides official certification for Indonesian timber so that it can be exported to European countries including the UK after British Exit or Brexit. Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the trade value between UK and Indonesia in the past five years has reached US $ 2.5 billion. In addition to bilateral issues, Fachir and Field also discussed a number of regional and global issues of concern to the two countries. The United Kingdom has agreed to continue to promote dialogue with Indonesia in dealing with various international issues, including the period of Indonesia's membership as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UN) for 2019-2020 period. Field trip to Indonesia is the first he has done since he was appointed as the British Youth Minister in 2017. Besides Indonesia, he will visit a number of other countries in the region such as the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos on a 13-day tour in Southeast Asia. In addition to meeting Fachir, Field will also meet Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, and ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)