Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono Discusses Bilateral Cooperation to the Opening of Diplomatic Missions with Madagascar's Minister of Foreign Affairs N'Diaye

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar N'Diaye. (Fauzi/VOI)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono discussed bilateral relations to the plan to open a diplomatic mission when he received his counterpart, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Alice N'Diaye, Wednesday.

Praising Madagascar as one of Indonesia's important partners in Africa and a valuable partner in advancing cooperation among Global South countries, Foreign Minister Sugiono said Foreign Minister N'Diaye's visit reaffirmed the strong and ever-growing friendship between the two countries.

He explained that in today's meeting the two foreign ministers had a productive and constructive discussion on bilateral, regional, and global issues.

"Indonesia and Madagascar have enjoyed warm and friendly bilateral relations for more than five decades, rooted in deep historical and socio-cultural ties," said Foreign Minister Sugiono in a joint press statement with Foreign Minister N'Diaye at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday (3/6).

During this meeting, the two foreign ministers also signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), namely the MoU on the Establishment of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) and the MoU Agreement on Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports.

"These agreements will provide a stronger institutional framework for our partnership, facilitate closer coordination between our government officials, and create greater opportunities for cooperation in various sectors," said Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Regarding the plan for the presence of the diplomatic mission of Madagascar in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Sugiono said his party welcomed the plan, "We believe that the presence of the mission will further strengthen our bilateral relations and facilitate Madagascar's involvement in this region, with ASEAN and with the wider Asia-Pacific market," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

In the field of economic cooperation, Foreign Minister Sugiono noted a positive bilateral trade trajectory, emphasizing the importance of expanding business to business (B2B) involvement and investment opportunities.

"We also discussed various possibilities for mutual support in industrial and domestic needs, as well as development cooperation, and explored opportunities to deepen cooperation and collaboration in sectors that offer significant potential, including energy, finance, and the creative economy," he explained.

In addition, the two ministers also discussed food security and steps that can be taken to secure food production, tangible collaboration in clean energy and blue economy initiatives, education, to ways to strengthen people-to-people relations to educational efforts.

"These efforts reflect Indonesia's continued commitment as a trusted partner for other developing countries and advancing mutually beneficial South-South cooperation," he explained.

He added that Indonesia is committed to deepening its involvement with Africa through stronger partnerships with key African regional bodies, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

"We look forward to Madagascar's support in advancing Indonesia's involvement in this regional organization," he concluded.