Minister Airlangga Hartarto welcomed Singaporean Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan to discuss arrangements for the upcoming Leaders’ Retreat, emphasising bilateral economic cooperation
THE Minister of Coordinating Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, received a visit from Singaporean Foreign Minister, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, in Jakarta on Tuesday 23rd April 2024, to discuss preparations for the Leaders’ Retreat. The two ministers expressed optimism about the ongoing strong economic relations between Indonesia and Singapore, highlighting potential areas of bilateral cooperation, including green energy initiatives, such as solar farms and carbon capture storage, as well as the development of the Batam-Bintan-Karimun area, digital connectivity, and data centres.
Minister Airlangga emphasised the importance of constructing data centres around the Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) to support its modern and digital concept. The discussion aimed to ensure the smooth progress of the IKN project.
The Leaders’ Retreat, scheduled for 29th April 2024 at Bogor Palace, will bring together President Joko Widodo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The strategic cooperation that will be focused on is human resource development through skill improvement, talent exchange in the digital sector, and capacity building in the health sector.
Minister Airlangga reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to supporting strong bilateral relations with Singapore and within the ASEAN framework, aiming for regional economic growth and stability. The discussion also covered Indonesia’s accession process to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East within the economic context.
Foreign Minister Vivian expressed confidence in Indonesia’s smooth accession process to the OECD during the meeting, further fostering economic cooperation between the two nations.
Source: Antara News
