PUTRAJAYA, Feb 6 — Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s maiden official visit to Jakarta as foreign minister on Tuesday is a testament to the close and comprehensive ties between Malaysia and Indonesia, said Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry.
During the visit, Mohamad paid a courtesy call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi. He stated that the visit was an extension of Malaysia’s government’s attempts to fortify its relationship with Indonesia and improve collaboration within the Asean region.
“The Foreign Minister also touched on the need to intensify border trade activities at Tebedu (Sarawak) and Entikong (Kalimantan) in order to reach US$30 billion (approximately RM143 billion) in annual trade as agreed to by both leaders,” said the ministry or Wisma Putra in a statement Tuesday.
Mohamad, who was appointed as the foreign minister on December 12, 2023, also had a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.
Malaysia and Indonesia also discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest, said Wisma Putra.
“The meeting was an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the progress of bilateral cooperation and explore new potential avenues towards further strengthening the existing partnership,” said the statement.
Wisma Putra said the foreign minister also exchanged views with President Jokowi and his Indonesian counterpart on regional and global developments, focusing on the situation in Myanmar and the conflict in Palestine.
Both countries also reiterated their commitment to jointly address discrimination against palm oil, said Wisma Putra, adding that Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s main exporting nations of the commodity.
In 2023, Indonesia was ranked as Malaysia’s third largest trading partner among Asean member states, with total trade amounting to RM111.21 billion.
The foreign minister also discussed resolving the crisis in Myanmar through Asean with his Indonesian counterpart and emphasised the importance of Asean unity in addressing this issue.
“The foreign minister also reiterated Malaysia’s position, which is also shared by Indonesia, regarding the struggle of the Palestinian people and their inalienable right to a free and independent State of Palestine,” said Wisma Putra. — Bernama
