Indonesia-Bulgaria Boosts Industrial and Manufacturing Cooperation

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia and Bulgaria have officially enhanced their strategic collaboration in the industrial and manufacturing sectors to boost the bilateral economic growth of both nations. This enhanced cooperation is underpinned by structural similarities in their industrial sectors, as both countries share rapidly developing manufacturing bases.

These manufacturing bases encompass several strategic sectors, including food and beverages, automotive, machinery and equipment, metals, and chemical products. These key sectors are considered capable of meeting domestic market demands while holding significant potential for expansion through trade, investment, technological mastery, and synergy among industry players.

"We view this meeting as a concrete form of our joint effort to continuously advance the economic sector, particularly in industry and manufacturing," Vice Minister of Industry, Faisol Riza, said in a written press release in Jakarta on Monday, September 21, 2026.

This expanded cooperation opportunity is supported by bilateral trade performance records that showed a positive trend throughout the 2021–2025 period. Total bilateral trade in 2025 reached approximately US$230.5 million with an average growth rate of 13.34 percent, while Indonesia's exports to Bulgaria touched US$147.4 million with an average growth rate of 31.13 percent over the same period.

Beyond trade, Bulgarian investment flows into Indonesia between 2021 and 2025 recorded a value of US$5.59 million. This investment figure still leaves ample room for further development, primarily through the establishment of production facilities in the agro-industry and machine tools sectors, as well as the development of modern industrial clusters.

Faisol noted that several high-potential products can be optimally developed to penetrate international markets. Efforts to boost the export of these leading commodities will be realized through business matching mechanisms, the identification of industrial needs, and the provision of comprehensive information on market requirements.

This economic potential was discussed in depth during the meeting between Vice Minister Faisol and Bulgaria's Vice Minister of Economy, Innovation, and Industry, Mihaela Georgieva Karadimova. This high-level meeting specifically highlighted strategies to expand bilateral market access, with Indonesia exploring opportunities to position Bulgaria as a strategic gateway for national products into the European Union market.