23/03/2013 (4-Traders) - The Netherlands welcomes Indonesian efforts to make palm oil production more sustainable. Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and the Indonesian Deputy Trade Minister, Mr Bayu Krisnamurthi, discussed this matter on Thursday.

'Palm oil is one of Indonesia's main export products, and the Netherlands is one of its biggest buyers,' Ms Ploumen said. 'At present, palm oil is still too often produced at the cost of irreplaceable rainforest. The certification of palm oil by the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Foundation is a potential first step towards the international standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.'

Ploumen and Krisnamurthi also discussed the investment climate in Indonesia. The Indonesian economy is growing strongly at a rate of over 6% a year, largely thanks to foreign investment. Four of the Dutch leading sectors - agri-food, horticulture, water & life sciences, and health - have designated Indonesia a priority country. The Netherlands is working with Indonesia through various development programmes to improve the investment climate in these sectors. 'That creates opportunities for entrepreneurs in both countries,' Ms Ploumen said.

Later this year, Ms Ploumen will travel to Indonesia to further bolster trade and development relations. Deputy minister Krisnamurthi is in the Netherlands for the Pasar Malam event in The Hague, which was opened on Wednesday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans.