TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and Thailand agreed to increase bilateral trade, at a meeting between foreign ministers of the two countries on Thursday.

Compared to 2014, trade between the two nations fell to US$12 billion in 2015, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at a bilateral meeting with her Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.

"Therefore, we have a strong commitment to enhance trade relations," Retno said.
Meanwhile, Don Pramudwinai expressed the hope that the two countries will be able to increase trade value to up to US$20 billion in the future.

"Of course, we want bilateral trade to increase to US$16 billion or even US$20 billion," he said.
He warmly welcomed Indonesias proposal to increase economic cooperation with Thailand, Pramudwinai said.

At the meeting, both sides also agreed to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in the tourism sector. In addition, the governments of the two countries also agreed to encourage investment between the two ASEAN member states.

Economic progress achieved by each ASEAN member state will have a positive impact on economic development in Southeast Asia, he believed.

"Economic progress in each ASEAN member state will be good for the economic growth in the region and that will be good for the ASEAN community," he said.

ANTARA