RI, NEW ZEALAND AGREE TO STEP UP COOPERATION

Jakarta, June 25 (ANTARA) - Indonesia and New Zealand have agreed to increase cooperation in various fields such as defense, immigration, economy, trade and people-to-people contacts, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said.

"We discussed cooperation in the fields of economy, industry, education and regional security in the Asia Pacific region with the New Zealand foreign minister," Wirajuda said after a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully here on Thursday.

He said that New Zealand, Australia and other countries in the Asia Pacific region were important partners for Indonesia and for other countries grouped in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Wirajuda said that New Zealand always took active part in the ASEAN summits.

In the trade field, New Zealand's trade with Indonesia last year reached US$60 billion while Indonesia's trade volumes in the same year US$25 million.

"Cooperation between Indonesia and New Zealand has so far been well established. New Zealand constitutes an important partner for Indonesia," the Indonesian foreign minister said.

During the meeting, the foreign ministers of Indonesia and New Zealand also discussed the planned holding of the Second Indonesia-New Zealand Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) scheduled to be held in New Zealand this year.

The JMC meeting in New Zealand is a follow up of the first meeting held in Bali in 2005.

The two ministers also discussed cooperation in stepping up regional security in the Asia Pacific region in the face of increased threats as a result of North Korea's nuclear tests.

They also discussed human right violation in Myanmar, which befell Myanmarese democracy movement leader Aung San Syuki, global financial crisis and the Middle East issues.

In the meantime, New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully said his country considered that it was very important to develop cooperation with Indonesia in strengthening regional cooperation in the Asia Pacific region.

McCully is on a three-day visit in Indonesia from June 24 to 26, 2009. It is a first visit since he assumed the foreign ministerial post of New Zealand in November 2008.***5***