Indonesia to strengthen relationship with Hungary

Jakarta. In the closing ceremony of the Indonesian-Hungarian Business Forum tonight (Feb. 1) at Kempinski Hotel, Jakarta, Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that Indonesia and Hungary are politically stable states supporting for business cooperation.

“Indonesia is rich in natural resources, while Hungary is advanced in technology. Both countries need to cooperate to give more room for their people to develop their capacity,” he said.

In 2011, the Vice President said, the trade value between the two countries just reached 400 billion dollars and this should be increased.

He then recounted that in 1960 almost half of motor vehicles in Indonesia were Hungarian produced with Ikarus and RoBUS brands. “There is still an opportunity for Hungary to develop technology in motor vehicles here in Indonesia,” said Mr Kalla.

He then continued that in water management government has a program to add more pipelines every five years.

“We are planning to build new 10 billion pipelines to households in Indonesia. We still need about 20 million more,” said the Vice President, adding that this is in a bid to improve water quality in the country which is relatively worse compared to that in other ASEAN states. Hungary with its long experience and technology in water management, he said, is encouraged to take part in the project.

Prime Viktor Orbán in his remarks at the event said Hungary is eager to join cooperation with Indonesia in various sectors. “One of our commitments is to provide scholarship for 50 Indonesian students to continue their study in Hungary,” he said.

The prime minister then stated that his country has long been recognized as leading in agriculture, food industry, water management, urban management, information technology, housing industry, and renewable energy.

“I come with 40 business players from Hungary to seek possible cooperation in those fields,” he said.

He then underscored that in running their businesses Hungarian companies put emphasis on using local components of local country in which they are operating.

“We are doing together with local people in a production sharing system. We name this mutual respect policy,” he said.

At the end of the forum, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Prime Minister Orbán witnessed the signing of business deals between Indonesian and Hungarian business players, including:

1. Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between CEO of the Hungarian National Trading House Zsanett Ducsai Oláh and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman.
2. Mou between CEO of the Hungarian National Trading House Zsanett Ducsai Olàh, CEO of CET Orientals Ltd Máté Várkonyi and CEO of PT Walden Global Service Eric Rusdi.
3. MoU between President of the Hungarian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Lásló Parragh and KADIN chairman Rosan Roeslani.
4. MoU between General Director of the Media Support and Asset Management Funds Miklós Vaszily and Editor in Chief of ANTARA News Agency Aat Surya Safaat.
5. MoU between General Manager of the Budapest Waterworks Csaba Haranghy and CEO of PT Artha Envirotama T. Bandaso.
6. MoU between General Manager of the Budapest Waterworks Csaba Haranghy and President Director of the Jakarta municipality-owned tap water company PDAM Erlan Hidayat, Director of Jakarta Waste Management Company Jakarta Junifer Panjaitan, and President Director of PT Jakarta Utilitas Propertindo Company Chairul Hakim.
7. MoU between Member of the Board of Századvég Economic Research Marton Péter dan Barthel-Rúzsa Zsolt and CEO Carpathia Tanácsadó Zrt Szabolcs Nagy with Managing Director of PT Petrolog Usaha Mandiri Don Murniadi and Chairman of PT Petrolog Usaha Mandiri Moentaryanto.