TEHRAN –Indonesia is seeking to use the experience of Iranian companies in its housing development and road construction projects.

“[Iran] is offering to cooperate with us in the housing industry since they have a massive low-cost housing construction program,” said Basuki Hadimuljono, the Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, in a meeting in Jakarta with Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia Valiollah Mohammadi.

He said that increasing cooperation between the two nations is a follow-up on an initial agreement between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani when the two met during the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta, the IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

“Iran has a huge program with low-price housing. We will soon form a technical team that will be led by our secretary-general to discuss the detail of our future cooperation,” Basuki said.

Iranian Telecommunications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi has said that the two sides were negotiating to launch direct flights and sign a preferential agreement in order to expand economic relations. 

Meanwhile, Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said Iran and Indonesia have agreed to build 48 small-scale hydroelectric power plants.
The power plants will be constructed in Indonesia by Iranian companies in the next five years.

Indonesia was the 37th leading importer of Iranian non-oil goods in the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2015, according to the Iran Customs Administration.  

Iran exported $68.47 million of non-oil goods to Indonesia and imported $117.73 million of non-oil goods from the country.  

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