Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti, has said that the Indonesian government is committed to strengthening the trade and investment ecosystem with Uzbekistan.
She noted that relations between the two countries, both diplomatic and economic, were established in 1992.
Since then, Indonesia and Uzbekistan have continued to strengthen their collaboration in various sectors, including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.
"We will be open to exploring cooperation with Uzbekistan in the future, increasing investment and economic integration, and creating mutually beneficial cooperation," she said at the Uzbekistan-Indonesia Business Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Esti explained that trade and investment relations between Indonesia and Uzbekistan continue to grow with positive developments.
In 2024, Indonesia's total exports to Uzbekistan reached around US$25.78 million, reflecting a significant growth of 57.81 percent compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, the total trade volume was recorded at US$147.65 million.
The main products exported by Indonesia to Uzbekistan include margarine, vegetable oil, coffee, and tobacco, she informed.
In addition, the trade trend in the last five years with Uzbekistan has shown an average increase of 13.20 percent.
Esti said the achievement reflects the increasingly close trade relations between the two countries.
Besides trade, investment cooperation between Indonesia and Uzbekistan has also been strengthened.
"Uzbekistan has shown interest in investing in Indonesia's energy and infrastructure sectors," she said.
Esti expressed the hope that the business forum between Uzbekistan and Indonesia would improve bilateral collaboration and trade performance
"We hope the two countries can improve their trade relations through a bilateral trade agreement," she said.
Separately, Foreign Minister Sugiono and his Uzbek counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, also agreed to reinforce bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors, ensuring mutual benefits for both nations.
The meeting between the two foreign ministers, which took place on Tuesday, also discussed global and regional issues of common interest and produced a joint statement, which will be released on Wednesday.
