Indonesia and Singapore Ink 19 Strategic Agreements at Leaders’ Retreat

Singapore, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong concluded a highly productive annual Leaders’ Retreat on Monday, June 16, with the signing of 19 strategic agreements spanning multiple sectors, including defense, health, economy, and connectivity.

“This Leaders’ Retreat was very productive and successful. We held a very productive meeting, one-on-one, and we produced 19 results in many sectors of cooperation in this year’s retreat,” President Prabowo stated during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Wong at Singapore’s Parliament House.

In the political and security domains, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the bilateral defense cooperation agreement and to expediting the technical finalization of the joint military training area. Additionally, progress was made in strengthening legal cooperation, particularly through the renewal of the memorandum of understanding between the attorneys general of both countries on extradition mechanisms.

On the economic front, President Prabowo reiterated that Singapore remains one of Indonesia’s foremost investment partners. “Thank you for the trust you have placed in us, and we want to continue to strengthen this collaboration and partnership,” he said.

Six bilateral economic working groups were highlighted, focusing on key sectors such as special economic zone development, agriculture, tourism, labor, and transportation.

The president also underscored the importance of cooperation between Singapore’s state-owned investment firm Temasek and Indonesia’s investment agency Danantara, especially in the areas of renewable energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) development in the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun special economic zones in Riau Islands.

In a significant move toward enhancing food security, Prabowo welcomed Singapore’s proposal to transfer modern agricultural technologies, including urban farming and sustainable post-harvest techniques. “We welcome the signing of the memorandum of understanding as a basis for strategic cooperation in food security and agricultural technology,” he said.

In the health sector, the president extended an invitation to Singapore to actively support Indonesia’s health system transformation, including the establishment of new faculties in medicine and nursing.

Further discussions were held on expanding cooperation in labor, especially the placement of skilled Indonesian workers in the caregiving sector.

Regarding connectivity, Indonesia committed to boosting direct air links with Singapore and enhancing airport infrastructure to support growing travel and economic exchanges.

Concluding his remarks, President Prabowo emphasized the enduring strength of the Indonesia-Singapore partnership. “I am very confident that this bilateral relationship will continue to grow stronger, with increasing trust and confidence in each other as time goes by,” he affirmed.