TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi welcomed Monday Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly at the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta on April 11.

In the meeting, the President sought to strengthen the bilateral economic partnership of the two countries and intensify negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which have started since March.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, who was present in the meeting, wrote in a statement on April 11 that “the President expressed the need to accelerate the negotiation.”

Other issues that were discussed in the meeting aside from CEPA included clean energy, infrastructure, and attracting Canadian investors to invest in Indonesia.

Retno asserted Canada’s position as one of Indonesia's most important trade and investment partners for the North American region. The trade value between Canada and Indonesia in 2021 jumped by almost 30 percent and the investment value was also up by almost four percent.

Moreover, Retno said that Joly conveyed Canada's support for the Indonesian G20 Presidency. In addition, said Retno, Canada also expressed its commitment to continuing to have open communication with Indonesia to prepare the best way for the G20 to deal with the present difficult situations.

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FAJAR PEBRIANTO