REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia and Latvia have agreed to step up bilateral relations.
"Latvia is a member of the European Union and we hope this visa-free facility agreement would be reciprocal to boost tourism and also trade," Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla said after meeting with Latvia president Raimonds Vejonis on the sidelines of attending the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on Saturday, according to Antara reporter Jaka Suryo.
The two agreed in the meeting on the possibility for the two countries to open embassies and provide a visa-free facility.
Kalla said he hoped the visa-free facility that Indonesia has extended to Latvia would be responded by Latvia providing the same facility for Indonesia.
Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi explained that Latvia has already appointed an ambassador to Indonesia while Indonesia plans to first appoint a consul.
"What is interesting is that Latvia plans to open a study on Indonesia at the top university in the country," she said.