The governments of Indonesia and Iran on Tuesday, October 23 agreed to cooperate in a crude palmoil refinery project in Iran involving the private sectors of both countries.
Work on the refinery will start next March and will be completed in 2003, Indonesian Industry and Trade Minister Rini Suwandi was quoted by Antara news agency as saying. She was speaking after the signing of a memorandum of understanding on trade.
Suwandi said Indonesia will supply the palmoil for processing into cooking oil for sale in Iran and neighboring countries. She said Iran needs some 300,000 tons of cooking oil per year.
Iran and Indonesia also agreed to conduct barter trade involving Indonesian steel and Iranian oil, Suwandi said. They also agreed to cooperate in training in the oil and gas sector, agriculture, farming and fisheries. Indonesia may offer to provide maintenance services for Iranian aircraft. — (AFP, Jakarta)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
