Jakarta. UK Minister for Exports Andrew Bowie is visiting Jakarta on February 1-2 to reiterate the importance of close commercial ties between the UK and Indonesia and discuss collaboration in key infrastructure projects including the railway system in Greater Jakarta. 

According to the UK Embassy in Jakarta, Bowie is scheduled to meet with Indonesian Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi to discuss collaboration on railway development to follow a letter of intent on railway development signed in November between the UK and Indonesia, in addition to an expression of interest from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s Export Credit Agency, to provide $1.25 billion (£ 1.1 billion) worth of financial support for the development of the mass rapid transit (MRT) project in Jakarta.

Through an industry-led roundtable with MRT Jakarta, with business leaders from across the UK’s rail sector, alongside a visit to the LRT Jakarta project site to see progress on operational readiness, supported by UK firms Crossrail International and Mott Macdonald, the Minister will further engage in discussions on UK support to Indonesia’s urban transportation expansion.

A Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable commercial shipping and shipbuilding will also be signed between the UK and Indonesia, outlining intentions for closer cooperation on sea transportation, the embassy said.

“Indonesia is a thriving and dynamic market that offers real opportunities for British businesses. Our trading relationship is worth more than £3 billion each year and I’ll be working hard on this visit to find opportunities to make that relationship grow and thrive further,” Bowie was quoted as saying. 

“In our race to a trillion pounds of exports each year, our service and manufacturing exports in particular will drive this growth into Indonesia and the ASEAN region, because when more businesses export, it boosts jobs, wages and the economy.”

Hello Jakarta, Indonesia! 🇮🇩
 
Did you know? The country is made up of around 18,000 islands 🏝️
 
The UK-Indonesian trading relationship is worth more than £3bn a year [year to Q2 22]
 
Looking forward to speaking to officials and businesses to see that relationship grow pic.twitter.com/z8ji1nTIX1

— Andrew Bowie MP (@AndrewBowie_MP) February 1, 2023

The Minister will meet Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G Plate, as well as leaders in the tech industry, to discuss supporting the sustainable digital transformation of Indonesia’s economy and drive cooperation and partnerships between both countries' tech ecosystems. 

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This comes ahead of the first UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week, taking place from March 13-17 in Jakarta and Bangkok, which is a key deliverable of our ASEAN-UK Digital Innovation Partnership and will be focused on digital trade promotion and policy development.

The Minister is also scheduled to meet Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and the National Development Planning Minister Suharso Monoarfa among others.

As Indonesia takes the ASEAN Chairmanship this year, the Minister will meet with the new ASEAN Secretary General, Kao Kim Hourn, to discuss ASEAN-UK cooperation.

“I am delighted that we are making rapid progress made to further strengthen the UK-Indonesia relationship in transportation, with both governments and industry coming together to present a breadth of expertise and to identify routes to enhanced cooperation,” British Ambassador to Indonesia Owen Jenkins said.

“The UK stands ready to support Indonesia’s ambitious infrastructure development plans. The engagements during Minister Bowie’s visit will drive progress in these significant areas.”

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