JOINT COMMUNIQUE
THE SIXTH JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING ON BILATERAL COOPERATION ON COMMODITIES BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
KUCHING, SARAWAK, MALAYSIA,
FRIDAY, 13 MAY 2011
The Sixth Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Bilateral Cooperation on Commodities between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of Republic of Indonesia was held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia on Friday, 13 May 2011. The Malaysian delegation was led by H.E. Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, and the Indonesian delegation was led by H.E. Dr. Ir. H. Suswono, Minister of Agriculture.
2. The meeting considered progress made in cooperation activities in the areas of palm oil, cocoa and pepper.
3. The meeting agreed on the following:
A. Cooperation in Palm Oil
Countering Anti-Palm Oil Campaign
• As part of ongoing activities to address barriers to palm oil trade, both Ministers will be undertaking a Joint Mission to United States from 24 – 26 May 2011. The itinerary of this Joint Ministerial Mission to Washington. D.C. includes bilateral meetings with the US Secretary of Agriculture, US Secretary of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Secretary of Commerce and US-ASEAN Business Council. This is a continuation of a similar mission to the EU in November 2010.
• To address negative publicity on palm oil in the European Union (EU), the Ministers supported the idea on the establishment of the European Palm Oil Council (EPOC). This body will provide the industry a collective platform to represent both countries on public debates that relate to palm oil issues such as sustainability, energy security, public health, address NGOs’ anti palm-oil campaigns, non-aligned lobby groups, media, journalists and feedbacks of Members of the European Parliament. In this context, both countries to finalise the proposal on the establishment of the EPOC before end 2011.
The EU Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Renewable Sources (EU RED)
• Malaysia and Indonesia will accelerate work in obtaining legal views regarding the consistency of the EU RED with the WTO provisions. This will allow both countries to consider the possibility of consultation with the legal division of WTO.
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
13 May 2011
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