Kalla Asks for Further Food Cooperation with Vietnam
Monday, 14 April, 2008 | 16:52 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Vice President Jusuf Kalla, asked the Indonesian embassy in Vietnam to increase cooperation with Vietnam, the second largest rice exporter. Kalla hopes Indonesia and Vietnam to share experiences on food production.

“We are asked to increase cooperation especially on the Indonesian effort to increase food including rice production,” said Indonesian ambassador for Vietnam, Pitono Purnomo, after meeting vice President, Jusuf Kalla, at the vice president's office, Monday (14/4).

Kalla also asked Indonesia to target their trade surplus to 15 percent with Vietnam through electronic products exporting, computer components, and iron and steel. Indonesia trade value to Vietnam reached US$ 2 billion or Rp 18 trillion per year.

Pitono said that Kalla asked for the Indonesian embassy in Vietnam to do a market survey to increase the market penetration for Indonesian non-oil and gas commodities.

“In 2008, we are trying to increase 15 percent of the trade value with Vietnam,” he said. Vietnam is also a potential market for Japan, and this is a challenge for Indonesia to increase the quality of Indonesian products to be competitive with Japanese products.

Anton Aprianto