RI, China to sign cooperation agreement on aquatic products

Indonesia and China are scheduled to sign a fishery cooperation agreement next week in a move to reduce the rejection of each other's aquatic imports, a spokesman said.

A team of officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is expected to arrive at the Chinese capital next week to meet with officials of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) for the purpose, First Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing Iwan Freddy Hari Susanto said on Sunday.

The two nations have long tried to sign the cooperation agreement but to no avail because of technical matters.

"This time the text of the cooperation agreement has been completed and ready to be signed. We hope the authorized parties from the two countries will sign it soon," Freddy said.

He said relevant officials of the two countries have already exchanged visits.

Citing an example, he said AQSIQ officials visited Indonesia some time ago to see if the country has complied with the Chinese-set standards in processing aquatic products.

The cooperation agreement does not mean that all types of aquatic products from Indonesia can enter the Chinese market, he said.

"Likewise not all types of aquatic products from China can enter the Indonesian market. After all, the positive step will at least encourage and enable the two countries to accept each other's aquatic export products," he said.

On February 4, 2008, China lifted its temporary ban on the import of aquatic products from Indonesia after AQSIS assured that Indonesia complied with the standards in processing its aquatic products.

China imposed a temporary ban on the import of aquatic products from Indonesia after AQSIQ on August 3, 2007 found that a number of Indonesian aquatic products fell short of standards.

source: Antara