Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Senegal intends to buy two CN-235-220 planes from state aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) to meet its VIP and air transportation needs.

Senegalese Armed Forces Minister Augustine Tine revealed the intention during a meeting with bilateral cooperation groups of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the Senegalese Parliament at his office recently, head of the Indonesian delegation to the meeting Tantowi Yahya said in a press statement released on Saturday night.

Tantowi said the meeting also discussed a plan to open a Senegalese representative office in Indonesia as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation after the Indonesian government opened its embassy in Dakar in 1982.

To create mutually beneficial relations, the two countries were in the process of finalizing a draft memorandum of understanding on the formation of a joint commission, he said.

The Indonesian parliamentary delegation consisting of five members from the Democrat Party, Golkar Party and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) factions paid a working visit in Senegal on May 14-17.

During the visit they discussed a number of political, security, economic and development issues at domestic, regional and global levels with their Senegalese counterparts, he said.

Indonesia and Senegal officially established relations on October 3, 1980. Trade between the two countries reached US$46.1 million in 2012, with Indonesia`s exports to the West African country valued at US$43 million.

The exports included animal and vegetable oils, machinery, chemicals, garments and utensils. (S012)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2013