Indonesia, Uzbekistan Commit to Enhanced Partnership through Women’s Empowerment

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia and Uzbekistan are strengthening their agenda for more inclusive trade, with a focus on empowering women and developing SMEs to expand access to international markets.

This commitment was conveyed by Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri during a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Zulaykho Mahkamova, in Tashkent on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

The bilateral talks explored opportunities to enhance economic cooperation while bolstering the role of women entrepreneurs in both countries.

Roro emphasized that women are at the forefront of Indonesia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem as job creators, innovators, and contributors to economic growth. “About 64.5 percent of SMEs are owned or managed by women, particularly in food and beverage, fashion, beauty, handicrafts, and creative industries,” she said, quoting data on the Ministry’s official website on Thursday, June 18.

She also introduced the UKM Berani Inovasi Siap Adaptasi (BISA – SMEs Daring to Innovate, Ready to Adapt) Export program, designed to help MSMEs -- including women entrepreneurs -- expand into overseas markets.

The program facilitates business matching, export promotion, capacity building, and market access initiatives to strengthen competitiveness globally. “Domestically, the Ministry is also promoting digital literacy so entrepreneurs can leverage e-commerce platforms to grow their businesses. We look forward to exploring cooperation with Uzbekistan in these efforts,” Roro added.

At the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation forum, Indonesia proposed closer collaboration through seminars, business outreach, and identification of flagship products. Commodities such as tea, chocolate, tropical fruits, modest fashion, halal products, and cosmetics are seen as having strong potential in the Uzbek market.

Responding to the proposal, Deputy Prime Minister Mahkamova expressed Uzbekistan’s readiness to expand its partnership with Indonesia.

She stressed that digitalization is key to increasing women’s participation in economic activities and widening market access. Mahkamova said this vision would be implemented through the Women Business Accelerator program, which focuses on enhancing capacity, competitiveness, and market access for women entrepreneurs.

“In addition, we propose establishing the Organization for Exchange of Experiences Program as a platform for sharing best practices and strengthening networks among organizations engaged in women’s empowerment and business development in both countries,” she said.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and sustainable development. On the same occasion, Indonesia invited the Uzbek government and business leaders to participate in the 41st Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI), scheduled for October 14–18, to expand business networks for women and SMEs. ***