RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - A strategic renewal of the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the creative industry was officially agreed upon by Indonesian and Thai government representatives this Friday to strengthen economic ties between the two neighbors.

Meeting in Jakarta, officials from both countries emphasized the urgent need to overhaul the existing agreement before its conclusion to better reflect the evolving landscape of the global creative market.

This initiative ensures that the partnership remains a cutting-edge tool for growth, allowing both nations to leverage new opportunities in the creative sector through updated policies and shared resources.

The Indonesian Ministry of Creative Economy stated that the scope of this cooperation includes policy exchange, human resource capacity building, and the utilization of digital technology.

Both countries view this renewal as a necessary step to stay adaptive toward the rapidly evolving needs of the global creative industry.

Director of Strategic Studies and Management at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Agus Syarip Hidayat, identified Thailand as a primary strategic partner for Indonesia.

Data indicates that trade value between the two nations in creative sectors including culinary, publishing, crafts, and fashion reached USD 1.54 billion between January and November 2025.

Agus emphasized that the high volume of trade reflects the massive potential for future bilateral synergy.

"Thailand is one of the main export destinations for Indonesia's creative economy products; this shows the great potential for cooperation between the two countries," Agus stated, as quoted by Antara.

He further noted that this is the perfect time to strengthen the bond between the two nations through better coordination.

"We see this momentum as an opportunity to update and recalibrate collaboration to create a stronger partnership, while at the same time strengthening relations between countries and communities," he added.

Indonesia’s creative strategy focuses on leveraging local potential and cultural heritage to drive national economic progress.

"We encourage the strengthening of the creative ecosystem through a hexahelix collaboration approach involving government, academia, business actors, communities, media, and financing institutions," he explained.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Hathaichanok Frumau, agreed that the creative sector is a vital pillar for economic growth. She said that revitalizing the partnership is essential to meet the demands of modern industry standards.

"Creative economy is an important sector for our economic growth. To achieve a stronger strategic partnership, cooperation between Thailand and Indonesia needs to be updated and reactivated according to current industry developments," she remarked.

Thailand also hopes to expand this collaboration so that both nations can secure significant roles in the international market.

"We hope to accelerate the implementation of cooperation and expand collaboration so that both countries can become global players in the creative economy," she added.

The meeting specifically highlighted concrete opportunities, such as Indonesia's participation in the Grand Halal Bangkok and joint film festivals.

Both sides also discussed industrial synergy in gaming through Gamescom Asia and the Thailand Game Show.

Indonesia extended an invitation to Thailand for the upcoming World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) to promote the sector as a driver for sustainable development. ***