Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto Welcomes Visit of Australian Business Champion for Indonesia

Jakarta, INTI - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, welcomed the visit of Australian Business Champion for Indonesia, Professor Jennifer Westacott AO, at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office in Jakarta on Wednesday (26/06). This friendly meeting was part of Professor Westacott's working visit to Indonesia, her first since being appointed as Australian Business Champion for Indonesia by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the Australia – ASEAN Special Summit in March 2024.

Minister Airlangga congratulated Professor Jennifer Westacott on her appointment as Australian Business Champion for Indonesia. “We welcome the potential cooperation between Indonesia and Australia, especially in the fields of Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), energy transition and transmission, the semiconductor industry, data centers, the health sector, education, and environmentally friendly mining practices such as green coal technology and blue ammonia,” said Minister Airlangga.

Professor Westacott, on the same occasion, stated the purpose of her visit. “This visit aims to discuss various potential cooperations between Indonesia and Australia, including in the sectors of agriculture, education, energy transition, and health,” she said.

During the warm meeting, both parties agreed to identify new opportunities in investment, trade, and other strategic sectors that can strengthen the economic relationship between the two countries in the future.

Minister Airlangga emphasized Indonesia's focus on finalizing regulations regarding CCS to encourage more intensive cooperation between Indonesia and Australia, particularly in energy transition activities.

Furthermore, potential cooperation in the semiconductor sector also became an important topic. Minister Airlangga stressed that developing the capacity of Indonesian human resources (HR) will support the industry to be built, with this plan expected to be part of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) support. “Indonesia opens opportunities for bilateral cooperation, especially in preparing HR for the semiconductor industry,” said Minister Airlangga.

Professor Westacott welcomed this suggestion and offered joint venture cooperation in semiconductors, particularly in the packaging industry.

Minister Airlangga also hoped that the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Australia would continue to be close to support and succeed in the transition to the new government in October 2024. He also emphasized the importance of continuing various low-hanging fruits cooperation commitments, such as cooperation in dairy products and poultry farming.

This visit is part of a series of collaboration strategies in ASEAN following up on Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, launched on September 6, 2023, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta.

Also present at the meeting were Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Penny Williams and Special Staff to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Raden Pardede.

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