The governments of Indonesia and Morocco have signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in the industry, maritime and fisheries sectors, for counter-terrorism measures and exchange of financial intelligence data on money laundering and terror funding.

The signing was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Pancasila Building in Jakarta, Monday, after the bilateral meeting between Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Moroccan counterpart Maroko Nasser Bourita.

It was witnessed by representatives of the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries, National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), and the Center for Reporting and Analysis of Financial Transactions, among others.

Minister Bourita's visit to Indonesia was the first official visit of a foreign minister since the announcement of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet on October 24.

"Morocco is a long-time friend and important partner for Indonesia from the Northern Africa region," Marsudi said.

In the meeting with Bourita, she conveyed the importance of immediately initiating a preferential trade agreement (PTA) negotiation. The agreement would allow for the removal of trade tariff barriers between Indonesia and Morocco.

Marsudi also expressed Indonesia's keen interest in expanding the market for seeded manufacturing products, believed to have tremendous potential in the Moroccan market, including textile, rubber, shoes, electronic products, home fittings and furniture.

"I also offered Indonesia's readiness to supply palm oil, tea, and coffee for domestic needs in Morocco," she said.

She also introduced Bourita to the Indonesian halal industry, which also had the potential for cooperation. In 2017, the value of Indonesia's halal industry reached US$2.1 trillion and is estimated to reach $3 trillion in 2023.

"I specifically invited Morocco to participate in the Halal Summit in Indonesia in November 2020," she said.

Both foreign ministers also discussed cooperation in the fields of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and transportation development by Indonesian state-owned companies in Morocco, as well as the joint venture between fertilizer companies for phosphate investment.

Aside from bilateral matters, Marsudi and Bourita discussed several regional and global issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

"I would like to emphasize that Indonesia wants the Middle East to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. There will be no world peace if there is no peace in the Middle East," Marsudi said.

For the Western Sahara issue, Indonesia encouraged all parties to participate in dialogues and support the UN-initiated process for a peaceful solution.

In terms of the issue in Palestine, Indonesia once again underlined the importance of implementing a two-state solution to create sustainable peace.

"As two Muslim countries, we are committed to promoting the face of Islam that is moderate, tolerant, and rahmatan lil alamin (a blessing for all creations)," she stated. (ANTARA)