Dhaka, Jakarta sign energy, agriculture agreements

Bangladesh and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on mutual cooperation in the energy sector, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi signed the MoU on behalf of their respective countries in Jakarta on Monday, officials said.
Dr Momen, who is currently in Jakarta, also signed a bilateral deal on agricultural cooperation.
While the energy sector MoU aims to promote the long-term sale and delivery of conventional forms of energy, as well as the development of new and renewable energy sources and power plants in Bangladesh, the agricultural MoU is intended to foster collaboration in production, marketing, technology transfer and the exchange of best practices in farming.
The foreign minister requested his Indonesian counterpart to ease market access for Bangladeshi ready-made garment products in Indonesia.
Expressing satisfaction with the recent increase in bilateral trade volume between the two countries, surpassing the three-billion-dollar mark, Dr Momen noted the stark imbalance between Bangladesh's import and export volumes.
The gap can only be reduced by promoting the export of Bangladeshi products to the Indonesian market, especially those in which Bangladesh has a competitive advantage, the minister said during his meeting with the Indonesian foreign minister.
Recognising Indonesia as an important trade partner of Bangladesh in the ASEAN region, he said there is great potential to further enhance bilateral trade and investment, given their complementary strengths and resources.
He expressed hope that the bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two countries would be finalised soon.
The two foreign ministers discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship between their countries, including cooperation in trade and investment, collaboration in international forums, Bangladesh's bid to become a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN and the issue of repatriating forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (the Rohingyas) temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister Marsudi highlighted Bangladesh's remarkable socio-economic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She noted the cultural similarities and historical bonds between Bangladesh and Indonesia at the people-to-people level, emphasising the need to explore new avenues of collaboration and partnership to strengthen the relationship between the two nations.
The ministers emphasised the potential for further collaboration to ensure energy and food security.
Dr Momen is currently visiting Jakarta to accompany President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who has been invited by President Joko Widodo of Indonesia to participate in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit.
These are two significant events attended by top leaders from the Southeast Asia region and beyond, according to officials.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com