President Jokowi highlights equal economic relations during meeting with Scholz

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized the need to realize equal economic relations between Indonesia and Germany and Indonesia and the European Union during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"Hence, various European Union regulations that impede public well-being must be improved. Moreover, Mr President also sought Germany's support for the conclusion of the Indonesia-EU CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi noted, as per the statement received here on Monday.

The bilateral meeting took place at the Lower Saxony Guesthouse in Hannover, Germany, Sunday (April 16) local time. Apart from the German Chancellor, Minister-President of Lower Saxony state Stephan Weil also welcomed Jokowi.

Marsudi remarked that during the meeting, the president welcomed the collaboration in the Indonesia-Germany joint committee on economy and investment, adding that Germany's investment in Indonesia should focus on priority sectors.

"German investment in Indonesia must focus on priority sectors, such as export-orientated sector as well as renewable energy and downstreaming," the foreign minister emphasized.



The head of state also highlighted the importance of German investment and the transfer of technology during the meeting with Scholz, she remarked.

Meanwhile, Marsudi stated that several agreements on government-to-government (G-to-G) and business-to-business (B-to-B) cooperation have been signed during Jokowi's visit to Germany.

For the G-to-G cooperation, the minister said that the Indonesian and German authorities signed two agreements, with the first being the "Joint Declaration of Intent on Join Economic and Investment Committee" on the establishment of a joint forum on economy and investment.

The second agreement is the "Joint Declaration of Intent in The Feed of Digitalization" between Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics and the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport on digital transformation development, she stated.

Indonesia has also inked 18 agreements in the areas of sustainability and energy transition, investment, start-up company innovations, and Indonesia 4.0 sectors valued at Rp27.9 trillion (US$1.88 billion), Marsudi remarked.