Indonesia - South Korea's Relationship Built On Trust

Seoul, March 29 (ANTARA)- Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the relationship between Indonesia and South Korea was built on mutual trust and common interests. "It`s all based on trust if we want to make friends with another country. Mutual trust increases if both countries are seriously trying to forge a relationship," stated the president here on March 23, explaining the basis of the relationship between Indonesia and South Korea, which remains strong amid the global crisis. After trust has been established, then the other important aspects of the relationship, such as mutual interest, fall into place, the president said. "When domestic capacity is limited, then common interests can be an incentive," he noted. In a bilateral meeting between the two countries, President Yudhoyono and his counterpart Lee Myung-bak discussed the potential for future cooperation based on a strategic partnership agreement. Indonesia has exclusively invited South Korea to participate in the "Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of the Economic Development of Indonesia" program mainly for the development of the infrastructure. The two countries have also created a target for the 2015 trade value, which could reach US$50 billion. The Indonesian government also intends to boost its tourism sector from 600 thousand South Korean tourists to one million tourists. The president`s visit to South Korea is part of his eight-day working-visit itinerary, which runs from March 22 to 29 and includes Beijing, Hong Kong and Seoul. The president and his entourage are scheduled to return to Indonesia on March 29.