Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto Strengthens Economic Cooperation with Canada: Indonesia Ready to Become a Key Player in the Asia-Pacific

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:30 | News | Editorial INTI

Jakarta, INTI - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Airlangga Hartarto, made a working visit to Vancouver, Canada, at the end of August 2024. The visit aimed to enhance economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Indonesia and Canada, particularly with the province of British Columbia, located in western Canada, a region closer to the Asia-Pacific.

On the first day of his visit, Friday (30/08), Minister Airlangga attended a meeting with Indonesian Entrepreneurs, Diaspora, Community, and Students in Vancouver. This event was organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Vancouver in collaboration with the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC). The meeting was attended by various companies and business associations in Vancouver owned and operated by Indonesian Entrepreneurs, as well as several leaders of the Canada-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (West Coast Canada Chapter) and Indonesian students residing in Vancouver.

In this meeting, Minister Airlangga provided an update on the global economy and Indonesia's economic situation. "Amid the challenges and uncertainties of the global economy, Indonesia's economy remains strong, supported by increasing competitiveness, controlled inflation, and improving economic growth quality," said Minister Airlangga.

He also discussed various strategic issues that will pose challenges for Indonesia's economy in the future, such as the Demographic Bonus and efforts to escape the Middle-Income Trap, the energy transition and the development of renewable energy, the digital economy, and industrial downstreaming, as well as cooperation in managing critical minerals with the US and China.

In the digital economy sector, Minister Airlangga emphasized that Indonesia is a leading player in ASEAN's start-up ecosystem, ranking sixth globally in terms of the number of innovative start-ups, making Indonesia a leader in ASEAN.

During the final session of the meeting, Minister Airlangga also outlined Indonesia's international economic cooperation map, including multilateral cooperation such as the G20, regional cooperation such as ASEAN, and partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region through RCEP, CP-TPP, and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework). Minister Airlangga also explained the process of Indonesia's accession to the OECD and Indonesia's desire to join the CP-TPP, drawing lessons from the UK's recent accession.

From the Indonesian Diaspora, Luthfi Doffier and Matthew Riyanto of the Canada-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce expressed their support and inquired about what the Indonesian Government needs from the Diaspora to make Canada more attractive and enhance cooperation. Additionally, Monica Khoe from Indigo Prima emphasized the importance of efficient logistics to reduce costs, especially for over-supplied Indonesian agro products.

Minister Airlangga is also scheduled to speak at a Business Forum organized by KJRI and ITPC in Vancouver on September 3, 2024. During this event, he will meet and have a direct dialogue with entrepreneurs and potential investors, encouraging them to invest and do business in Indonesia.