Indonesia, Iran Enjoying Harmonious Bilateral Ties

Jakarta ( Berita ) :  Indonesia and Iran are now enjoying harmonious bilateral relations as the two Muslim countries are able to show their good relations not only in the economic but political sectors as well.

In the political sector, Indonesia as a sovereign country with its free and active foreign policy showed its stance to the world that it was the only country which abstained in a vote on the third UN Security Council resolusion on Iran’s nuclear program in March, 2008.

Indonesia was the only country of the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, which abstained in the voting session.

On that occasion, Indonesia has shown Iran and the international community that the biggest Muslim country in the world is independent, Secretary of the Golkar Party faction at the House of Representatives (DPR), Hajriyanto Y Thohari, said.

 “The courage to take such a measure shows that the Indonesian government has also had a political position parallel to the Indonesian people’s aspiration,” Thohari said.

 Iran’s President Mahmoud Akhmadinejad had earlier visited Indonesia to attend the meeting of D-8 (eight developing countries –Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey)in Bali when the isue of Iran’s nuclear program in the UN Security Council heated up in May, 2006.  

 In addition, Indonesia and Iran had also exchanged visits of their respective high ranking officials mainly to strengthen the two countries’ bilateral relations.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Iran on March 11, 2008, as part of a tour of  several countries, including  Senegal,where he attended the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit (March 18-20) in Dakar.

“The president is showing consistency in his foreign policy of trying to bridge the divide between western countries and Islam, and therefore his visit (to Iran) will benefit not only Iran but also the West,” a political expert at Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java, Dr Daniel Sparringa, said.

 He said it was not the first time for Yudhoyono to show a political stance of maintaining an equi-distance between the ‘two voices’ as he had once bridged differences between the interests of the developing countries and the West.

 “Thus, Yudhoyono’s visit to Iran reflects the root of his political stance of allowing room for political moderation so that the visit will not disadvantage but benefit Indonesia because Iran and the West will thereby feel they are being mediated,” he said.

A member of the Commission I at DPR from the Prosperous Justice Party, Mutamimul Ula, said the Indonesian president’s visit to Iran had a strategic meaning as it constituted a reciprocal one which deserved high appreciation in the diplomatic etiquette.

According to the legislator, the relations between Indonesia and Iran are worth enhancing as they are developing countries with equal interests.

 Not only do the two countries establish cooperation in the political sector but also develop their relations in the economic sector.

 Iran’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Behrooz Kamalvandi, described the relations between his country and Indonesia as extraordinary as the two countries are able to maintain their good bilateral ties in the political and economic sectors at the same time.  

 “I am of the opinion that the relations (between Iran and Indonesia) are great,” the ambassador said, adding that it was rare that two countries could maintain good relations in the economic sector and at the same time they could also keep good ties in the political field.

 Thus, the ambassador said he would continue to enhance the political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

 

Economy

 

 In the economic field, he said, Iran and Indonesia had concluded agreements to cooperate in two big projects. One was the construction of an oil refinery in Banten, Indonesia, with an investment of US$46 billion.

 The oil refinery in Banten was expected to be completed in 2012. The oil supply by Iran was also intended to help Indonesia in the face of the worldwide energy crisis.

 “The second one is the construction of a fertilizer factory known as Hengam project in the southern part of Iran. In the first phase, its investment value will reach US$700 million. The two countries have agreed that each of them will contribute 50 percent of the figure,” he said.

On the Hengam fertilizer factory, he said Iran was expected to export one million tons of the plant’s output to Indonesia.

In addition to oil and fertilizer, he said, Iran would also supply gas at a lower price to Indonesia on a long-term basis. Iran will also strive to increase the value of its bilateral trade with Indonesia to one percent of the latter’s overall international trade, the ambassador said.

For instance, if Indonesia’s international trade value totals US$200 billion, Iran will try to make the value of its bilateral trade with Indonesia reach one percent of the figure, or US$2 billion, the ambassador told Antara in Jakarta recently. “Currently, the trade value between Indonesia and Iran only reaches US$400 million or one fourth of our target,” said Behrooz Kamalvandi.

According to the ambassador, his country will continue to work hard by among other things establishing more cooperation on big projects with Indonesia.

Another effort being made by the two countries to enhance their bilateral relations was establishing cooperation in the technology sector, he said.

He further said Indonesia and Iran still had opportunities to develop potentials which have not been exploited and thus his country (Iran) would continue to make agreements with Indonesia to use the opportunities.

In dealing with the food crisis which has been rife worldwide, the ambassador said that Iran which also develops the agro industry sector was ready to share experience in the agricultural field as Indonesia has the potential in the sector.

Iran could share its experience with Indonesia in an effort to improve the genetics of leaves and cereals like wheat and rice to make better qualities and produce bigger quantities.

The Indonesian president was reported to have  also visited Iran’s agroindustrial center when visiting that country last March, 2008, and the two countries were expected to reach agreements on cooperation in the agricultural sector.  ( ant )