Indonesia and Pakistan to Strengthen Cooperation in Key Sectors

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has identified four priority areas for enhanced collaboration with Pakistan: food security, energy security, health, and defense. The announcement was made following a meeting between Kadin Chairman Anindya Bakrie and Pakistani Ambassador to Indonesia Ameer Khurram Rathore.

“We sat together to discuss how Indonesia and Pakistan can work more closely,” Bakrie said in a statement on Saturday, emphasizing Pakistan’s strengths in defense, health, agriculture, and energy.

Bakrie highlighted the importance of upcoming trade missions and expos from both countries, set to take place in August. “These are good initiatives,” he noted, adding that Kadin would collaborate closely with its Pakistani counterpart to boost bilateral trade.

“These two countries are developing nations. Hence, it is not only to improve their respective economies but also trade,” Bakrie stated. “Indonesia is always looking for new market access, and Pakistan is one of the partners we closely monitor.” He also emphasized the importance of economic cooperation in benefiting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in addition to larger businesses.

Ambassador Rathore praised the strong religious and cultural ties between Indonesia and Pakistan, which provide a solid foundation for deepening business and trade relations. “We are looking at several sectors, as mentioned by the chairman of Kadin. We hope that with his leadership, we can develop better trade relations between the two countries,” Rathore said.

According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country enjoyed a trade surplus with Pakistan from January to November 2024, with exports amounting to $3.04 billion compared to $529 million in imports.

This growing economic engagement underscores the commitment of both nations to strengthen their partnership and explore new avenues for collaboration in critical sectors.