Business news

Lukashenko urges Indonesia to move beyond trade, develop industrial cooperation

JAKARTA, 2 July (BelTA) – Cooperation with Indonesia should not be limited to trade alone, but should also cover industry, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during the talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on 2 July, BelTA has learned.

“The potential of our cooperation is significant. It is not about the fact that you are a giant country, while we are not a great state in comparison with you. But we possess the technologies and competencies that you need. In this regard, we are ready to work with you. In this respect, no topics are off limits. We are not afraid of anyone, just as you in Indonesia are not, because we are doing this not against anyone, but we are doing this for the benefit of our countries and peoples,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

The head of state noted that the signing of the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Indonesia in December 2025 stood as one of the crowning achievements of Belarus’ chairmanship of the EAEU last year.

“We share the same determination, you and I, to enable businesses to take full advantage of the opportunities opened up by the new trade regime,” the Belarusian leader stated.

The Belarussian president expressed confidence that there is every opportunity to see cars and other machinery produced in Indonesia using Belarusian technologies appearing in large numbers on the streets of Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia.

“We do not want to only trade with you. That is not bad either. But we understand that this is not the right path in the modern world. Therefore, having come to you with our products, we are ready to train a sufficient number of your people here in Indonesia,” the head of state said. He noted that while training Indonesian specialists at Belarusian educational institutions is certainly an option, it is a time-consuming process. A more efficient approach, one that Belarus has already successfully employed in other countries, involves hands-on training for engineers directly at local factories, on the shop floors and assembly lines.

Aleksandr Lukashenko highlighted Belarus’ strategic geographic position in the center of Europe, which serves as a gateway for Indonesian goods to European markets. “You can always rely on us. You can use Belarus as a gateway to Europe, and we will give you our full backing. We are friends, and we will go to every length to ensure that you never look back on this partnership with regret,” the president stated.

The head of state expressed his gratitude once more to Prabowo Subianto for the invitation to visit this vibrant country and for the generous hospitality shown to the Belarusian delegation in the land of a thousand islands.

“Mr President, my dear friend, these are not empty words. Perhaps it is because we are alike in character that we have become friends in such a short span of time. But it is also because we both seek the good of our peoples. We both want to see our nations prosperous and self-reliant,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader’s previous visit to Indonesia took place some 13 years ago. During the talks, the Indonesian president conveyed a degree of regret that such a lengthy gap had separated the two visits. But from the Belarusian president’s perspective, there is a silver lining to this: “The contrast is striking, the momentum unmistakable. The progress you have made in that time is truly remarkable. We see the pace at which you are advancing toward your objectives.”