Indonesia to Promote Trade Cooperation with Tangible Benefits: Vice Minister

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Vice Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, boosts Indonesia’s trade and economic cooperation with a number of strategic partners through a series of bilateral meetings. The meetings were held on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting in Pasay City, the Philippines, from September 17 to 22, 2026.

During the meetings, Roro discussed several agendas, including accelerating Indonesia’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), implementing the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA), and strengthening trade relations with Russia and the United Kingdom. Indonesia is also seeking to expand market access, increase investment, and strengthen trade connectivity with its strategic partners.

During a meeting with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yasushi Masaki, Roro highlighted the importance of maintaining momentum in Indonesia’s accession process, which is targeted for completion by mid-2028. “As the first ASEAN country to undergo the OECD accession process, Indonesia views OECD membership as a strategic priority to strengthen domestic reforms and enhance national economic competitiveness,” she said, according to an official statement recieved in Jakarta on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

Indonesia also expressed its appreciation for the Fact-Finding Mission conducted by the OECD’s Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) in Jakarta. To support the accession process, Indonesia asked the OECD to provide guidance on the priorities of member countries, assistance in communicating Indonesia’s reform achievements, and ensure that discussions remain based on OECD instruments and standards.

Roro also met with Daniiar Imanaliev, Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), to discuss the implementation of the I-EAEU FTA, which was signed on December 21, 2025. “Indonesia has completed its domestic ratification process through Presidential Regulation and is targeting the I-EAEU FTA to take effect by the end of 2026. The implementation of this FTA needs to be optimized immediately to open market access and create new trade and investment opportunities,” she said.

Indonesia and the EEC also agreed to align the implementation of the Indonesia-EEC Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the FTA. The cooperation will cover technical exchanges, knowledge sharing, and capacity building in areas including regional integration, the digital economy, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and logistics, while also promoting the establishment of an Indonesia-EAEU Business Council and EAEU participation in Trade Expo Indonesia 2026.

Roro also met with Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Vladimir Ilyichev to discuss trade diversification and stronger economic connectivity between the two countries. “Indonesia sees opportunities to increase exports of products such as alumina, motor vehicles, industrial fatty alcohol, and stainless steel sheets, while maintaining the availability of strategic supplies such as wheat, iron and steel, gold, and copper cathodes,” she said.

The two sides also discussed opening new logistics routes between Indonesia and Russia and improving transaction efficiency through dialogue between Bank Indonesia and the Central Bank of Russia. In the fisheries sector, Indonesia encouraged the continuation of the registration process for 15 Indonesian Fish Processing Units (UPIs) in Russia to expand market access.

Furthermore, Vice Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri met with UK Minister of State for Trade Lord Anas Sarwar to discuss preparations for the UK-Indonesia Economic Growth Partnership (EGP) Forum in November 2026. The meeting also covered Indonesia’s preparations for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and opportunities to enhance bilateral economic cooperation.

“Greater commitment to cooperation with the UK will bring greater trade opportunities for businesses in both countries. In order to maintain the positive momentum in relations between the two countries, there is an opportunity to begin exploring the establishment of an FTA or CEPA,” she said.

Lord Anas expressed appreciation for developments in Indonesia-UK trade and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthening its integration with international trade and global value chains. He said there was still considerable room to expand trade cooperation between the two countries and that this should be followed up through more specific discussions to deliver tangible benefits for businesses.

Roro emphasized that the series of bilateral meetings was part of Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen economic reforms, expand market access, and improve trade connectivity with strategic partners. “Indonesia will continue to promote trade cooperation that provides tangible benefits for businesses, both through strengthening standards and domestic reforms and through opening new market access and improving connectivity with strategic partners,” she said.