Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Romania agreed to make the most of the momentum of 72 years of bilateral relations to boost economic cooperation during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period.
As part of the efforts to step up economic cooperation, the Indonesian and Romanian governments held the 8th Political Consultation Forum virtually on Wednesday, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry noted in a written statement released on Thursday.
The agenda of the meeting included ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, tourism, education, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and COVID-19 handling as well as mutual support for the two countries' bid for posts at international forums.
Director General of America and Europe at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Ngurah Swajaya, who led the Indonesia delegation to the forum, stated that as a European Union (EU) member, Romania is an important partner of Indonesia.
According to Swajaya, Indonesia can use Constanta Port as a gateway for its products to the EU market, while Romania can use Indonesia as a gateway for its products to the Southeast Asian market.
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To that end, Indonesia and Romania need to utilize the momentum of post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery to expand economic cooperation in order to increase the value of trade and investment, he emphasized.
"The relations between Indonesia and Romania have developed since they established diplomatic relations 72 years ago. The two countries need to further increase concrete cooperation in the fields of trade, joint production, and investment," he affirmed.
The Indonesian Trade Ministry's data showed that trade between the two countries had reached US$146.17 million (Rp2.10 trillion) in 2021, with Indonesia recording a surplus of US$65.97 million. Indonesia's exports to Romania had reached US$106 million last year.
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The governments of both nations have committed themselves to strengthening cooperation in the trade, investment, and tourism sectors.
The political consultation forum also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, including Indonesia-EU relations, ASEAN-EU relations, Asia-Europe Meeting, Myanmar issue, climate change, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and global supply chain.
At the meeting, Swajaya also highlighted the mission of Indonesia's G20 Presidency through the theme "Recover Together, Recover Stronger" that places emphasis on the global health architecture, energy transition, and digital transformation.
Meanwhile, Director General of Global Affairs at the Romanian Foreign Ministry Olivia Toderean, who led the Romanian delegation to the forum, congratulated Indonesia on the G20 Presidency and remained committed to supporting the achievement of Indonesia's mission during its presidency.
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