Strengthening Economic and Trade Cooperation: Menko Airlangga Meets British Trade Minister in London

Jakarta, INTI - During his working visit to London, Minister of Economic Affairs Coordination Airlangga Hartarto met with the British Trade Minister, The Rt. Hon. Greg Hands MP, at the Department for Business and Trade. The meeting between the two ministers took place warmly in one of the historical rooms from the Churchill era. Initiating the discussion, Menko Airlangga shared the significant progress of Indonesia-UK cooperation, such as the establishment of King's College in Indonesia and the peaceful conduct of the elections held in just one day. The close relationship between the two countries is marked by the agreement of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO), currently partnering in three working group sectors. Menko Airlangga hopes that JETCO will soon produce concrete results, particularly in the fields of energy and digital economy.

Minister Greg, accompanied by the UK Prime Minister's Special Envoy to Indonesia, Richard Graham, who is fluent in Indonesian, expressed deep impressions of the election process in Indonesia, comparing it to the UK. Furthermore, claiming that the UK has expertise and experience in clean energy, Minister Greg offered appropriate clean energy cooperation for Indonesia as an archipelagic nation. The implementation of clean energy will be linked to subsidy policy management.

Minister Greg also hopes for trade in dairy products and derivatives within the framework of JETCO, which is still experiencing registration issues due to lengthy procedures, besides the implementation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures. Regarding this matter, Menko Airlangga affirmed that Indonesia is currently undergoing deregulation, emphasizing easier mechanisms for the registration of dairy products and derivatives. This effort supports the increasing demand for dairy products and derivatives with the government's new program, free milk for students.

During this meeting, Menko Airlangga addressed the impact of the UK's due diligence rules for Indonesian palm oil products and hoped for fair treatment under these regulations. Currently, Indonesia is voicing its disagreement with the EU's policy implementation regarding sustainable products. Indonesia, along with Malaysia, is working towards managing issues regarding sustainable product regulations.

The two ministers also discussed ideas for free trade cooperation, Indonesia's accession to the OECD, and regional cooperation. Indonesia is ready to open up free trade with the UK. In response to this idea, Minister Greg considers Indonesia's entry into the CPTPP important, where the UK has recently joined. The UK Prime Minister's Special Envoy to Indonesia, Richard Graham, discussed cooperation in the production of critical minerals to drive the battery industry. Concluding the meeting, Minister Greg invited Menko Airlangga to see the world map storage location where Churchill strategized for World War.