Pakistan and Indonesia cooperate on economic issues
The ambassador believes that there is greater room to expand bilateral trade.
ISLAMABAD: Abdul Kadir Jailani, Indonesia’s deputy foreign minister for Asia-Pacific and African affairs, asserted that there is great potential for closer economic, commercial, and diplomatic connections between Pakistan and Indonesia.
Jailani told APP in an interview from Jakarta that there was already agreement that more rigorous economic diplomacy was needed to improve the already-existing skills in bilateral relations.
He expressed optimism that future trade between the two nations, which had already reached $4 billion, will increase.
With a combined population of 500 million, Pakistan and Indonesia were the two largest Islamic nations by population, “showing the potential market for economic and trade cooperation, which can offer new paths of partnerships.”
The minister mentioned an existing preferential trade agreement (PTA) as evidence that it would assist advance free trade.
He noted that Indonesia will give Pakistan a route into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc. “Pakistan is an important country due to its strategic geographical location, which shares its borders with Central Asia, the Middle East, and China,” he said.
Pakistan is also willing to grant Indonesia access to its market if there is agreement between the two parties.
He urged the private sectors of both nations to communicate more so that the two economies might work together for greater results.
The Indonesian minister responded to a query by stating that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a significant undertaking in which Jakarta was also considering investing. He added, “Indonesia is interested in making investments in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs)”.
In response to a different query, Jailani stated that the Covid-19 outbreak severely interrupted the worldwide supply chain, which had an effect on industries including health and education as well as people’s lives.
He emphasised that “both countries can boost trade and livelihoods by integrating with the global supply chain.”
The deputy foreign minister made it clear that Indonesia “believes in global economic and commercial integration,” not in rivalry anyplace in the world.
“We value economic and trade integration among Asean member nations, and their economic ties to the rest of the globe are crucial,” the statement reads.
He underlined numerous prospects for collaboration in tourism between Indonesia and Pakistan and described Pakistan as a very attractive country with stunning natural beauty.
