Indonesian FM visits Mexico to observe 60 years of bilateral ties

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa paid a two-day visit to Mexico beginning Monday on the eve of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, during which he met with his Mexican counterpart and President Enrique Pena Nieto, a statement released by the ministry said here on Tuesday. During Marty's meeting with Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena, the two discussed ways to improve relations in economy, trade, investment and people-to-people sectors. They also discussed on furthering the talks between Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mexico's then President Felipe Calderon held on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Vladivostok in September 2012. The two ministers also discussed further cooperation in regional and global forums such as FEALAC (Forum for East Asia- Latin America Cooperation), APEC and G20, the statement said. During the Mexican president's visit to Indonesia in 2008, leaders of the two countries have signed several agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation in education, diplomacy, agriculture, trade promotion and energy sectors. The two-way trade between Indonesia and Mexico was recorded at 1.22 billion U.S. dollars in value last year, with Indonesia gaining a surplus of 81.4 million U.S. dollars. That compared to a trade value of 1.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2011, when Indonesia enjoyed 245.7 million U.S. dollars of surplus. Commodities traded by the two countries mainly include rubber, electronics, household appliances, footwear, processed oil, furniture and wood products.