Jakarta, January 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: Foreign Minister Sugiono reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to advancing cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), emphasizing the importance of addressing and overcoming obstacles in their bilateral partnership.
Speaking at the Indonesia-UAE 3rd Roundtable Discussion in Jakarta, Minister Sugiono acknowledged existing challenges, particularly in the commercial and business sectors. He pointed out that bureaucracy remains one of the key barriers to smoother collaboration. “There are several obstacles, especially in the commercial sector, where sometimes bureaucracy hinders progress,” he said.
He also reaffirmed President Prabowo Subianto’s stance on facilitating the elimination of such barriers, underlining the Indonesian government’s commitment to fostering a more conducive environment for collaboration.
“Our aim is to achieve an eight percent economic growth rate, which requires the implementation of good governance both in business and government sectors,” Minister Sugiono emphasized. “More importantly, we are focused on creating an ecosystem that supports and enables the successful implementation of all agreements and plans between Indonesia and the UAE.”
The meeting, attended by UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazroui, highlighted several areas for collaboration, including renewable energy, food security, industrial downstreaming, and the defense industry. Both ministers agreed that the agreed-upon projects should be expedited to promote economic growth and improve the well-being of citizens in both nations.
Minister Al-Mazroui stressed the importance of transparency in negotiations and collaboration to achieve mutual goals. “Indonesia and the UAE must engage in swift negotiations and resolve issues efficiently,” he said, adding that both nations must work together to create a solid foundation for larger-scale projects.
“We are ready to invest if given the right opportunities, but companies also have options in other countries. It’s essential to offer projects that are feasible and attractive to investors,” he continued, emphasizing that transparency and ease of doing business will be crucial in attracting foreign investment to Indonesia.
Al-Mazroui’s visit to Indonesia was accompanied by a delegation of 48 business leaders from various sectors, including energy, industry, technology, infrastructure, transportation, and education, all focused on exploring future projects in Indonesia.
The longstanding partnership between Indonesia and the UAE is reflected in collaborative projects such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Emirates Cardiology Hospital in Solo, as well as ongoing humanitarian assistance initiatives.
With its growing renewable energy potential, Indonesia is viewed by the UAE as a key partner in Southeast Asia, particularly for the development of sustainable energy solutions. Recently, the UAE government expressed its readiness to contribute to the construction of one million housing units in Indonesia, further cementing the strong and expanding ties between the two nations.
