TWO RI CABINET MINISTERS TO VISIT BEIJING

Beijing, March 16 (ANTARA) - Two Indonesian cabinet ministers are expected to visit Beijing on March 19 to discuss improvement of bilateral economic cooperation with Chinese officials.
Acting Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu are scheduled to arrive here to meet with Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang to discuss efforts to step up the two countries' economic cooperation, Indonesian Ambassador to China Sudradjat said here Monday.
"The two ministers from Indonesia will meet with Keqiang to discuss various efforts to improve economic cooperation between the two countries," Sudradjat said.
Sudradjat said the agenda of the talks had already been drawn up and it was therefore expected the meeting with the Chinese side would proceed as scheduled.
He said the two ministers' visit in Beijing would be a follow up of Li Keqiang's official visit to Indonesia last December 20-23, 2008 to attend the 3rd Indonesia-China Energy Forum.
During his visit to Indonesia, Keqiang met with among others President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. He also talked with Indonesian businessmen grouped in the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
"The visit of Sri Mulyani and Mari Pangestu to Beijing will have a strategic meaning as it is an effort to improve the two countries' bilateral relations in accordance with the strategic partnership agreement they signed in Jakarta in 2005," Sudradjat said.
He added that the discussions between the Chinese and Indonesian officials would be focused on economic relations and the follow-up of Keqiang's visit to Indonesia in December 2008.
Sudradjat said during his visit in Indonesia, Keqiang had said the Chinese government would give a soft loan of US$800 million to Indonesia for infrastructure and industrial development.
Indonesia and China had also signed an agreement on cooperation in the energy field, covering electricity, coal, oil and gas, Sudradjat said.