7th July 2010. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Wednesday received Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard who is making a four-day visit in Indonesia. At the meeting, the Swiss and Indonesian presidents discussed efforts to strengthen their countries` bilateral friendship and cooperation. President Leuthard arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday morning and is on Thursday, July 8, 2010 scheduled to go to Surabaya to attend a business meeting, visit some of East Java`s major business centers and attend a dinner hosted by the East Java governor.
In Jakarta, President Leuthard also attended a meeting on Indonesian and Swiss businessmen`s competitiveness with the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), visited the International Labor Organization (ILO) office and had a Luncheon with ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan. Indonesia and Switzerland have 58-year-old diplomatic relations and close cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, and developmental fields.
With the establishment of a Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC) on 26 November 2009, Indonesia became one of Switzerland`s strategic partners in the economic and developmental fields. Swiss investment in Indonesia ranked 15th in terms of amount in the period 1990-2009, namely 740.7 million US dollars. The Swiss funds were sunk in the food industry, chemicals, shipping, agriculture, hospitality, water treatment, and engineering.
In infrastructure filed, the Swiss government also took part in the construction of power plants together with the Asian Development Bank. Trade between Indonesia and Switzerland in 2007-2008 increased by 47.09 percent to reach 983.9 million US dollars but the figure dropped by 38.43 percent in 2009 to 621.5 million US dollars. Indonesia`s exports to Switzerland mainly consisted of essential oils, garments, shoes, electronic products, furniture, coffee, tea and spices.
Meanwhile, Switzerland`s main exports to Indonesia were made up of power plant machinery parts, pharmaceutical products, chemical products, dyes, and cosmetic ingredients.
At present, 75 Swiss companies are operating in Indonesia providing employment for 59,000 people.
