Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and the United States met on Monday to begin their cooperation on science and technology they signed two years ago, an official said on Monday.

"This is a follow up of an agreement signed by both sides two years ago," Prof Dr Amin Subandrio, expert staff of the minister for science and technology, said during the First Indonesia-US Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology.

Amin said that the meeting was a special one because both sides had to wait for two years before the Indonesian and the US researchers could hold a joint committee meeting for prospective and strategic cooperation development.

The cooperation covers the fields of science and technology on the health sector, agriculture technology, bio-diversity and climate change.

"We will produce an action plan during the two-day meeting and we hope cooperation would be started soon," Amin said.

He said that in the health sector, both sides would give an emphasis on the development of vaccines and the handling of malaria and forensic microbiology.

Emphasis will also be given on the maritime sector, particularly the utilization of marine resources, marine explorations, bio-diversity and climate change.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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