KUWAIT, May 30 (KUNA) -- The visit of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to Indonesia aims at further boosting relations between the two countries.
The bilateral relations between Kuwait and Indonesia had witnessed great developments since they established diplomatic relations 38 years ago. Indonesia opened its first embassy in Kuwait in 1968 and Kuwait opened its first embassy in Indonesia in 1972 and the Kuwaiti flag was raised for the first time in the diplomatic province in Jakarta in the year 2005.
Indonesia had stood by Kuwait on many occasions, including the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, on issues relating to the Kuwaiti POWs, and on efforts urging Iraq's commitment to implementation of UN resolutions related to Kuwait's liberation.
There are many memorandums of understanding signed between the two sides, on issues including the organization of dialogue, the exchange of labor, and efforts regarding cooperation in the field of labor.
Indonesia is considered Kuwait's gateway to the south East Asia market that exceeds a population of 600 million people, while Kuwait is in turn considered a regional gateway for Indonesian products.
Kuwait and Indonesia have signed an agreement to avoid double taxation in 1997 to boost economic ties.
Kuwaiti imports from Indonesia reached KD 29, 837 in 1997 which included home and office furniture, electronics, and tyers, while Kuwaiti oil exports to Indonesia amounted to around USD 202 million in 1996.
The trade exchange between the two countries increased from USD one billion in 2004 to USD 1.4 billion at the end of 2005.
During the tsunami catastrophe which killed around 160,000 people and left tens of thousands others homeless, Kuwait extended aid through its embassy and the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society (KRCS) and helped organize relief efforts.
The KRCS continued offering its humanitarian aid to the tsunami victims in 2006.
Kuwait also supports the development projects in Indonesia, and this included placing the corner stone of a residential village named after Kuwait to shelter those who were left homeless after the floods. The village was constructed within a comprehensive developmental project to build 10 villages for refugees.
The Kuwait Fund for Economic Arab Development offered Indonesia aid worth around USD 58 million that included railway, transportation and power projects, in addition to an easy loan worth KD four million to develop a bridge in Bandong.
By Kawther Al-Ghanem
