RI-Belarus Relations to Explore East Europe-South East Asian Connectivity

Kamis, 21 Maret 2013 - 05:22 WIB
Oleh : Deskinfo

President SBY received state visit from Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko at Istana Merdeka, Jakarta, on Tuesday, March 19th. This first visit from Belarusian President after twenty years of diplomatic relations aimed to improve cooperation between Indonesia and Belarus.

During bilateral meeting with President Lukashenko, President SBY explained that Indonesia is Belarus main trade partner in Southeast Asia, but the current trade volume is still too small.

“Indonesia is a country with relatively large number of population, more than 240 million, with a continuously growing economy, increasing purchasing power, and a strong domestic market. Of course this is an opportunity which we can grasp together with cooperation between Belarus-Indonesia,” SBY stated.

The meeting was followed by joint press conference between the two presidents on the same day. In the conferrece, President SBY said that Indonesia and Belarus agree to further the cooperation. He explained that trade, investment, agriculture, science, and technology as important sectors, of the cooperation such as defence, disaster management, training and education, and tourism.

“Our bilateral relation is better, growing, and I’m sure with visit from the President, we can make it even better,” he added.

President Lukashenko responded by inviting Indonesian businesspersons to invest in Belarus. President Lukashenko explained that investment will not meet tariff barriers because Belarus, alongside Kazakhstan and Russia, is in a single economic space. Belarus has been a member of Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia since 2010.

 “Company that invests in Belarus is guaranteed to be able to reach 170 million potential markets," President Lukashenko stated.

Both leaders agreed that each markets can serve as a launch pad to enter each of the regions wider market-- East Europe through Belarus and South East Asia and greater Eastern Asian region through Indonesia.  To mark this commemoration of two decades of diplomatic ties, through this historic visit to Jakartaa, President Lukashenko also invited and hope SBY go conduct a return visit to Misk, Belarus at a time most convenient.

After the tete a tete meeting, bilateral meeting and press conference, Lukashenko and his delegation, and also Lukashenko's son was invited to the state banquet at the State Palace that very evening. It was during that State Banquet that both leaders exchange dinner speeches which further encourage a return visit to Minsk where, Lukashenko promised to offer a warm hospitality to which they received since they arrived in Jakarta.

The visit of Belarusian President was a strong signal that Indonesian progress and development  had reached the interest of Eastern European countries.  President Lukashenko stated that his meeting with Kazakhstan President Nazerbayef had spoken positively of his visit to Jakarta in 2012.  Belarus possesed a number of comparative industries that would benefit the Indonesian massive market which could satisfy the interest of both peoples and countries.

MoU Signing

During the visit, President SBY and President Lukashenko also witnessed the signing of seven MoU. Previously, government officials from the two countries have conducted bilateral meetings on a number of issues.

The MoUs are:

1.    Protocol on technical and economic cooperation between Government of RI and Belarus, signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs from respective countries;

2.    Agreement on the cooperation between Government of RI and Belarus on science and technology, signed by Indonesian Minister of Research and Technology and Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs;

3.    Note of understanding between Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture and Belarusian Ministry of Food and Agriculture on agricultural cooperation;

4.    Agreement on cooperation between Government of RI and Government of Belarus on defence industry, signed by Indonesian Minister of Defense and Belarusian Head of State Military – Industrial Committee;

5.    Agreement between Government of RI and Government of Belarus on the avoidance of double tax and the prevention of income tax avoidance, signed by Indonesian Minister of Finance and Belarusian Minister of Tax and Tarriff;

6.    Note of understanding between Indonesian Ministry of Law and Belarusian Ministry of Justice on cooperation in law sector;

7.    Note of understanding between BNPB RI and Belarusian Ministry of Emergency Affairs on disaster mitigation.

Accompanying President SBY during the visit were, among all: Minister of Economic Coordination Hatta Rajasa, Minister of State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa, Mionister of Defense Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Finance Agus Martowardoyo, Minister of Agriculture Agus Suswono, Minister of Education and Culture Muhammad Nuh, Minister of Industry MS Hidayat, Minister of Youth and Sport Roy Suryo, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik, Minister of Environment Balthasar Kambuaya, Minister of Law and Human Rights Amir Syamsuddin, and Head of BNPB Syamsul Maarif.

Sumber :  http://setkab.go.id

ARGUMENTASI : .

Pertemuan bilateral dengan Presiden Lukashenko, menjelaskan bahwa Indonesia adalah mitra dagang utama Belarus di Asia Tenggara,  kesempatan tersebut dapat dimanfaatkan melalui potensi yang dimiliki Indonesia seperti jumlah yang relatif besar penduduk, lebih dari 240 juta, dengan ekonomi yang terus berkembang, meningkatkan daya beli, dan pasar domestik yang kuat.

Kunjungan Presiden Belarusia adalah sinyal kuat bahwa kemajuan Indonesia dan pembangunan telah mencapai kepentingan negara-negara Eropa Timur. Hubungan bilateral dalam bidang perdagangan, investasi, pertanian, ilmu pengetahuan, dan teknologi sebagai sektor penting, kerja sama seperti pertahanan, manajemen bencana, pelatihan dan pendidikan, dan pariwisata harus dijalin dengan baik karena Belarus yakin bahwa sejumlah industri komparatif yang akan menguntungkan pasar besar Indonesia yang bisa memenuhi kepentingan kedua bangsa dan negara.

Dengan adanya hubungan bilateral dengan Belarus , seharusnya para pengusaha lebih dapat bersaing lebih kompetitif lagi tidak hanya dalam negri melainkan siap bersaing secara global. Karena dalam hubungan ini Belarus pun mengundang para investor di Indonesia untuk melakukan investasi di negaranya tanpa hambatan tarif, karena Belarus, Kazakhstan dan Rusia bersama, berada dalam ruang ekonomi tunggal.