Indonesian Ambassador to Britain Yuri Octavian Thamrin on behalf of the Indonesian government signed the accord with Chief Minister Lyndon Trott representing the Guernsey government and Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur representing the Jersey government, Ambassador Thamrin told an Antara correspondent based in London on Friday.
In addition to holding a meeting with the chief ministers of Guernsey and Jersey, Ambassador Thamrin who during a visit to the Channel Islands was accompanied by Minister Counsellor/Act. Head of Chancery Economic Affairs Tumpal Hutagalung also held meetings with other local senior officials, including Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey Peter Walker and Bailiff of Guernsey Sir Geoffrey Rowland.
He said during the two-day visit to the Channel Islands located between southern Britain and northern France he also held a number of technical meetings with local officials.
According to him, the accord was badly needed to handle financial and tax crimes particularly money laundering.
In his address to the signing of the accord, Thamrin said the Indonesian government warmly welcomed the signing of the accord with Guernsey and Jersey which constituted the first and second such accord the Indonesian government had signed.
He said the signing of the accord was one of the manifestations of Indonesia`s commitment as a G20 member to promote transparency and close cooperation in the field of tax information exchange.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lyndon Trott warmly welcomed the Indonesian ambassador`s visit to Guernsey to sign the accord.
Trott expressed hope that the accord could encourage close economic cooperation between the two sides.
(T.ZG/S012/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
