Indonesia supports implementation of political and economic reforms in Kazakhstan
The second meeting of the Kazakhstan-Indonesia Discussion Club was held in Jakarta, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Representatives of government bodies, academic and expert circles, as well as the Indonesian media participated in the event, Kazinform News Agency cites the press service of the Kazakh MFA.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Serzhan Abdykarimov, elaborated in detail on the successful implementation of the country’s public-political and socio-economic transformation course, the transition to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable government, the strengthening of local executive government bodies, government efforts to de-monopolize the economy, develop transportation and logistics potential, actively attract foreign investments, and modernize education, healthcare, information technology, and renewable energy sectors.
Speaking about the foreign policy, the diplomat emphasized Kazakhstan’s important role in global nuclear non-proliferation and interreligious dialogue, the development of Central Asian and Turkic integration, as well as the “C5+1” (“Central Asia+1”) formats, focusing on Kazakhstan’s efforts to strengthen multilateral economic partnerships, regional stability, and security in Eurasia.
The ambassador noted significant progress in developing comprehensive ties between Astana and Jakarta over the past 30 years, evidenced by a substantial increase in trade turnover, mutual tourist trips, business and human contacts, and the development of political dialogue, as confirmed by the recent meeting of the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Indonesia in Dubai on December 2, during the UN Climate Change Summit (COP28).
Jatmiko Prasetyo, Director of the Department of South and Central Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, highly evaluated the broad spectrum of deep political and economic transformations in Kazakhstan, enhancing its international image as a progressive and innovation-open state. He appreciated Kazakhstan’s new economic strategy, emphasizing the importance of diversifying the economy and expanding international trade and investment ties for regional cooperation and integration.
He noted that there is a significant, but yet not fully realized, economic potential between Kazakhstan and Indonesia. He particularly focused on opportunities in the joint extraction of rare earth metals as a promising direction of interaction. Jatmiko Prasetyo stressed that expanding economic partnership with Indonesia would allow Kazakhstan to strengthen its ties with the important and dynamically developing region of Southeast Asia.
Bobby Siagian, Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation with Asia at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of Indonesia, shared the results and positive impressions of his recent successful visit to Astana for concluding the Agreement on Mutual Protection and Promotion of Investments. He informed about plans to hold the second meeting of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in Astana in 2024, where specific projects in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure development are expected to be discussed.
Bernardino Vega, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted Indonesia’s significant interest in expanding trade and investment ties with Kazakhstan. He suggested that Kazakhstan could become a trade and financial hub for Indonesia in Central Asia, considering the activity of the AIFC. In this regard, he announced the Chamber’s plans to send a trade mission to Kazakhstan in 2024 to commence trade and economic cooperation.
Bambang Susanto, Director of the International Office of UPNV Jakarta, positively assessed the outcomes of the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States and recent meetings of Central Asian leaders in the “C5+1” format. He highlighted the significance of these events in the context of enhancing the region’s role on the international stage and interaction with major players, particularly noting Kazakhstan’s active role. Bambang Susanto expressed interest and readiness to develop cooperation between Indonesian and Kazakhstani educational institutions.
Foster Gultom, the first Ambassador of Indonesia to Kazakhstan and a lecturer at Budi Luhur University, and Calvin Khoe, Director of Research and Analysis at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, presented their vision of global economic trends and the strengthening of Kazakh-Indonesian economic cooperation in light of the changing geopolitical and geo-economic situation in the world.
In conclusion, the Indonesian side also expressed support for the idea of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Jakarta to create an expert council involving leading analytical centers of both countries.
