RI, PNG open border post at Sokau-Wutung

Indonesian and Papua New Guinean (PNG) governments have agreed on Friday to open an official border post at Sokau-Wutung between the two countries.

The agreement to open the border post was jointly signed by visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare after a bilateral meeting in Port Moresby on Friday.

Besides the border post agreement, three other memorandum of understandings on the prevention of double tax, defense and security cooperation, and and agriculture cooperation between the two governments were also signed by related ministers of the two countries.

At a joint press conference after the bilateral meeting, President Yudhoyono explained that the two countries had agreed to continue with the border management, in addition to police and military cooperation.

The president at a meeting with Indonesian community in PNG also said border issues between the two countries would continue to be improved to step up economic and social relations among the people living at the two countries border areas.

The agreement on the border issues, according to the president, should be based on demarcation regulation.

In economic field, President Yudhoyono said the two countries had agreed to step up cooperation in investment, trade, agriculture, transportation, micro credit and small medium enterprises.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Michael Somare expressed hope that there would be a cooperation in trade and manufacture production such as machinery and textile equipment.

"We also need cooperation in liquefied natural gas (LNG) process and small medium business," Somare said.

Regarding the agreement on the prevention of double tax, President Yudhoyono said it would be made to avoid imposition of tax on Indonesian businessmen in PNG and PNG businessmen in Indonesia.

"It will make investment and business expansion in the two countries more expensive and inefficient, and therefore the detail of the agreement will be discussed in the ministerial meeting of the two countries," Yudhoyono said.

In addition, the two countries also agreed to cooperate in international forum on climate change and forest management.

Source : ANTARA - Friday, March 12, 2010 Port Moresby