RI PRESIDENT CONCLUDES WORKING VISIT IN GERMANY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 6 (Antara) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who arrived on Sunday for a three-day working visit in Germany concluded his tour of the European nation on Wednesday after fostering bilateral cooperation in various fields.          President Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono's entourage during the German tour included Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, deputy defense minister Sjafrie Syamsuddin, Industry Minister MS Hidayat, Trade Minister Gita Wiryawan and other government officials.          In his three-day working visit, the president among others met with German President Joachim Gauck, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former German president Horst Kohler, chief executive officers of major German companies and other noted German businessmen.          President Yudhoyono, after a meeting  with German Head of State Joachim Gauck said that both sides agreed to continue cooperation, praising relations between the two countries.         "We are glad with the present state of our relations," President Yudhoyono said at Hotel Adlon Kempinski after the meeting.           He said the two heads of state renewed commitment to boosting mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.         Besides meeting with the German president, Yudhoyono also held talks with German German Chancellor Angela Merkel where both countries agreed to prioritize cooperation in various sectors namely trade, education, defense industry, research and technology, food, energy and transportation.         "The commitment is in line with the Jakarta Declaration signed in 2011 between Indonesia and Germany," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.         The president noted bilateral cooperation between the two nations especially between private sectors has been increasing since the signing of the Jakarta Declaration. They also discussed renewable energy, small medium enterprise business, tourism and Indonesia's commitment in maintaining good relationship with Germany.          Meanwhile Chancellor Merkel expressed her administration's commitment to implementing the Jakarta Declaration saying that last January she had sent Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle to accompany several Germany entrepreneurs to come to Jakarta.           President Yudhoyono termed the German foreign minister's recent visit to Jakarta as  a very successful visit. "I heard from Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa that your recent  visit to Indonesia together with several German businessmen was successful and ran well. For this, I express my sincere congratulation," President Yudhoyono told  German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in a meeting at Hotel Adlon Kempinskid.           Counselor Angela Merkel also appreciated the efforts to establish a Free Trade Area (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Indonesia.           She supported the efforts to establish the FTA with Indonesia as a need relating to the trade network.           "We are glad that we will have a free trade network with Indonesia which is very important," she said citing as an example the enhancement in economic relations between China and Southeast Asia following the implementation of a free trade agreement in the area.           "EU also needs such a trade network and I support it," she noted.           Merkel, however, realized that it is not easy for establishing an FTA with all ASEAN member countries.  "We believe that ASEAN and EU need an FTA to enhance  trade and economic cooperation, but it would need time to realize it. Therefore, we will focus on Indonesia first," she said.          Besides with German President Joachim Gauck and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Yudhoyono also had an audience with former German president Horst Kohler.          Horst Kohler is a member of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons (HLPEP) for the post-2015 Development Agenda, while the Indonesian President jointly chairs the panel with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirlear.          At the meeting President Yudhoyono expressed hopes the former German president could attend the next meeting of the HLPEP in the Indonesian island of Bali  at the end of this month.          The last HLPLEP meeting was held in Liberia last January.          Twenty-six members of the HLPEP who are directly appointed by the UN have been working to formulate important agendas to replace the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) which would expire in 2015.          President Yudhoyono said last year the three co-chairs and the UN had shared a common view that the next development agenda must be aimed at reducing world poverty significantly to improve the living standards of peoples in the world.         The formulators of the post-2015 development agenda have been working since September 2012 and would work until May 2013.         Apart from government officials in Germany, the Indonesian president also met with the country's businessmen. He held closed-door talks on the second day of his tour of the country with four chief executive officers of top German companies in Berlin.          The four CEOs are  Martin Winterkorn of Volkswagen AG,  Peter Loscher of Siemens AG, Klaus Lesker of Ferrostaal GmbH, and Gerard Guillouet of PT Accor Asia Pacific in Indonesia.         Earlier, at the luncheon with German and Indonesian businessmen, the President expressed the government's commitment to encouraging investment and mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Germany.         Yudhoyono asked German businessmen not only to improve the quality of the existing cooperation but also to create new opportunities in a number of promising sectors.         "Whenever I travel abroad I always try to have a chance to hold talks with business and industrial communities. In my view, these communities are very innovative in creating economic opportunities and act as the engine of economic growth," the President said in his address to a meeting with the German businessmen.      The President said the meeting with German businessmen was very important to serve as a means of dialog and discussion on cooperation opportunities.          Yudhoyono said his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Jakarta last year had laid a significant foundation for the enhancement of economic cooperation between the two countries.          "During the meeting, I appreciated a number of her ideas and plans to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries," he said.          As a follow up to the Jakarta meeting, the business forum this time not only enhanced the existing cooperation but also established new cooperation, he said.          After concluding his three-day working visit in Germany, the president and party left for Hungary on Wednesday for a two-day visit.          The President's entourage  included Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, Industry Minister MS Hidayat and Cabinet Secretary  Dipo Alam.***1*** (T.A014/H-YH) (T.A014/A/A. Abdussalam/A/Yosep) 06-03-2013 20:21: