REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LONDON - Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen said that Europe amid suffering financial crisis, could learn how Indonesia bouncing back from crisis. Inflicted by crisis in 1998 with the ratio of debt in around 400 percent from Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Indonesia could press it until 25 percent from GDP within only 10 years. Indonesia even can maintain its economic growth in 6.2 percent per year.
Verhagen said on Diplomatic Reception of 67th of Indonesian Independence in Netherlands that bilateral cooperation in water management must be enhanced. He also welcomed the development of democracy and human rights in Indonesia.
He explained that Rotterdam Port and Schiphol Airport remained to be the gate for Indonesian commodity to Europe. Indonesia currently becomes the third biggest partner in Asia after China and India to Netherlands.