He also proposed deal on crude oil between the two countries.

Saifur was talking to Indonesian Foreign Minister N Hasan Wirajuda on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Regional Ministerial Meeting on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) being held in Jakarta, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday.

Highlighting the commitments made by the two countries over the last three years, the two sides expressed satisfaction at the growing bilateral relations.

Referring to the eight agreements signed between Bangladesh and Indonesia, Saifur expressed the hope that the two countries would take necessary steps to translate these into concrete actions.

He invited the Indonesian foreign minister to join the first-ever joint commission meeting between the two countries to be held in Dhaka in September.

Saifur hoped that the scheduled meeting would "usher in a new era of bilateral trade".

The finance minister in this connection expressed his optimism that Indonesia would ratify the existing agreements at an early date.

Meanwhile, Saifur also met his Indonesian counterpart Anwar the same day and discussed issues of mutual interest.

Both the ministers observed that the two countries should work together for the betterment of their respective countrymen.