FM HASSAN TO CHINA FOR EXPANDING BILATERAL RELATIONS

Beijing, June 26 (ANTARA) - Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda is scheduled to visit Beijing on July 1 and 2, 2009 where he will meet and hold discussions with important officials in China in promoting the relations between the two countries.

"At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Hassan will be making a two-day official visit to China," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Thursday.

He said the two foreign ministers will meet and discuss various current bilateral, regional and international issues.

Since the signing of the China-RI strategic cooperation in Jakarta in 2005, he added, the relations between the two countries had reached significant progress.

The cooperation between the two countries covered political, economic, trade, social and cultural affairs as well as tourism, which had been increasing every year.

While in Beijing, the Indonesian foreign minister, he said, will also meet and hold discussions with Chinese reputy foreign minister Li Keqiang, and with several Chinese high-places officials.

When asked whether the two foreign ministers will sign an extradition treaty which had been delayed so many times, Qin Gang said diplomatically that he did not know of any such plan.

In the meantime, Indonesian ambassador to China Sudrajat said on July 1, 2009 both the foreign ministers were scheduled to sign an extradition treaty after delayed several times.

The document was actually scheduled to be signed last year, but it was postponed because the two sides were heavily preocuppied.