Staff Reporter
MEMBERS of the Indonesian expatriate community in Qatar celebrated their country's 62nd Independence Day with patriotic zeal and enthusiasm yesterday. Some 200 men, women and children attended the flag hoisting presided over by charge d'affaires Andang Pramana Sosodoro at the Indonesian embassy.

Addressing the gathering, Sosodoro reminded the gathering that the spirit of unity and the work ethos of Indonesians in Qatar must be intensified, in order to open more opportunities to accelerate Indonesia's economic development.

The charge d'affaires urged his compatriots to be good guests in Qatar and obey local rules. Sosodoro lauded the Qataris who, as sponsors, gave Indonesians the opportunity to work in the country.

There is an estimated 25,000 Indonesian citizens in Qatar, he said. Some 5,000 of them are professional workers in the fields of oil, gas, infrastructure and fertilizer industry.

The envoy said that compared to the last year, there had been a 20% increase in the number of Indonesian expatriates arriving in Qatar. The bilateral co-operation in the field of manpower is followed with enhanced co-operation in other fields like trade and investment, he said.

Indonesia and Qatar opened diplomatic missions in their respective capital cities in 1999. Bilateral co-operation between the two countries has received a boost with the visits of top leaders and government officials from time to time.

President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, visited Qatar in April 2006. Several topics for bilateral co-operation were discussed during the visit, Sosodoro said.
Among the most important proposals/agreements were establishment of an Indonesia-Qatar Joint Investment Fund worth $1bn, in which Qatar agreed to cover 85% and Indonesia the remaining 15% and co-operation in the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors.

“It is expected that the Qatari government would give more opportunities to Indonesian EPC companies. Besides Indonesian professionals in the field of oil and gas, fertiliser and petrochemical sectors could find jobs in Qatari companies.”

The charge d'affaires said Indonesia hopes there would be a return visit by the HH the Emir to Jakarta in the near future.

He said co-operation between the two countries was not only bilateral but also regional and international, particularly with their concurrent non-permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking about bilateral trade, the envoy said though relatively small, trading activities between the countries have been increasing, with Indonesia currently enjoying a surplus.

Indonesia exports to Qatar furniture, wood, plywood, block board, paper, stationery products, plastic products, textiles, garments, footwear, tyres, noodles, batteries, electrical equipments, food and beverages, fresh fruits, vegetables, building materials, and cement.

He said there had been a significant rise in the number of Indonesian dignitaries and delegations transiting Doha as the city is the operational hub of Qatar Airways, which operates regular services to Indonesia.