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FM: Belarus–Indonesia partnership reaches new heights with multimillion-dollar deals
JAKARTA, 1 July (BelTA) – Belarus and Indonesia are maintaining positive momentum in bilateral trade and are exploring the prospects for industrial collaboration, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov told the media. The minister is part of the delegation accompanying the Belarusian president during his official visit to Indonesia, BelTA has learned.
“We are very interested in cooperation with Indonesia for many reasons. First, it is a fairly serious international player with a growing GDP and influence on global processes. Cooperation on the international stage and mutual support is one aspect. Second is trade and economic cooperation. Here, everything is developing according to the plan we have outlined with our Indonesian friends. In 2025, our trade, services included, exceeded $600 million. This year, the positive momentum remains in place, with a predominant growth in our exports,” the Belarusian top diplomat said.
Maxim Ryzhenkov noted that alongside potash supplies, efforts are not going into other areas of trade that are highly in demand for Indonesia. “These include supplies of food products, powdered milk, and whey. Another area of cooperation is the supply or assembling of our machinery which is very much needed, including in the mining industry and agricultural mechanization. This also involves the transfer of certain agricultural technologies,” the minister said.
Cooperation in education is also being discussed - the training of Indonesian specialists in Belarus across various fields, including agriculture, medicine, and engineering.
In turn, Belarus is interested in imports of various goods from Indonesia, including rubber, seafood, cocoa beans, palm and coconut oil and certain items of equipment and machinery produced in the country.
“In short, trade and economic cooperation is mutually beneficial. We supply what Indonesia needs and does not have domestically, and vice versa,” the minister noted.
He gave a positive assessment of the outcomes of the Belarusian-Indonesian business forum held the previous day in Jakarta, which resulted in contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. “That is not the limit. I believe that in the very near future we will make further progress in many areas,” Maxim Ryzhenkov said confidently. “What pleases me most is that among these projects there are also projects for industrial assembly of our equipment and localization of certain manufactures. This makes our trade more sustainable.”
The delegation accompanying the president includes heads of ministries and agencies. All of them, in the run-up to the visit, already held meetings and negotiations with their Indonesian counterparts and representatives of the production and trade sectors. Relevant cooperation agreements are expected to be signed.
Maxim Ryzhenkov also said that Belarus and Indonesia are currently discussing the possibility of waiving visas and launching direct air service. The Indonesian side plans to open its diplomatic mission in Minsk.
Also on the agenda is cooperation in culture. “We have agreed that in the near future we will outline steps to hold Days of Culture in Belarus and Indonesia respectively. A corresponding memorandum will be signed,” the minister added.
“Relations with Indonesia are comprehensive in nature. I am confident that the meeting of the leaders of the two countries will not just give an impetus, but will open up new opportunities for cooperation. As part of the highest-level visit a roadmap for our cooperation will be approved. It sets out in detail all areas of cooperation, from humanitarian to trade and economy,” Maxim Ryzhenkov added.
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