President Yudhoyono of Indonesia
"Both leaders agreed that good progress had been made in building on the UK-Indonesia Partnership Forum launched in April."
The Prime Minister has met President Yudhoyono of Indonesia at Downing Street.
Following the meeting, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister released the following statement:
“Following his visit to Indonesia in April, the Prime Minister said it was a huge honour to welcome President Yudhoyono to Downing Street and that today’s talks would build on their previous meeting, taking the relationship to a new level.
“They had constructive discussions on a number of subjects, with the focus on the UK-Indonesian trade and investment relationship. Both leaders agreed that good progress had been made in building on the UK-Indonesia Partnership Forum launched in April but that more needed to be done to meet the shared target of doubling bilateral trade by 2015. They looked forward to the prospect of talks starting in the new year on the EU-Indonesia Partnership Agreement, which aims to reduce barriers to trade.
“The Prime Minister told the President that he was delighted that BP has just signed a £7.5 billion development in liquid natural gas in Indonesia. He said that it was a huge boost to the UK’s growing trade and investment in Indonesia’s emerging market. He also welcomed the recent expansion of the financial sector in Indonesia and said he hoped many more British companies would be able to follow suit. President Yudhoyono agreed and said that in particular he would welcome more British investment in infrastructure in Indonesia.
“The President and the Prime Minister welcomed the education agreement that was signed straight after their meeting, saying that it would strengthen links between the UK and Indonesian universities and lead to growth in the number of students studying in both countries. A creative industries agreement was also signed, as the Indonesian delegation described the UK as the model in this sector. The two leaders also welcomed the signing of a defence agreement which they said would set the stage for increased co-operation in research and development, investment and production in this industry.
“The Prime Minster praised President Yudhoyono for his leading role in Indonesia’s transition from autocracy to a vibrant democracy, and welcomed the role that Indonesia played in showing the world that Islam and democracy could co-exist and thrive. The two leaders stressed the importance of the role of interfaith dialogue. The Prime Minister discussed with the President how to ensure respect for human rights in regions such as Papua, while maintaining Indonesian territorial integrity.
“Burma was discussed, with the Prime Minister emphasising the need for continued democratic reform and reconciliation in Rakhine State in particular. Both men agreed on the need for continued commitment to helping the people of Syria and the need for Iran to come to the table on their nuclear programme.”