VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi appreciated the health cooperation amid the Covid-19 pandemic between Indonesia and New Zealand. Until now, New Zealand has provided vaccines, ventilators, rapid test for Indonesia and support for Eijkman Institute. That was stated by Minister Retno Marsudi after a meeting with her New Zealand counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta at Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta, Monday (15/11). Then, Minister Retno Marsudi said that health issues will be a priority of the Indonesian presidency in the G20. Indonesia shared a similar position on the importance of equal vaccine access for all countries.

In the meeting, both ministers discussed cooperation on post-pandemic economic recovery acceleration. Minister Retno Marsudi affirmed that trade and investment are always the key in an economy. In September, the bilateral trade trend rose by 37 percent year on year up to US$1.25 billion. Hard work is still needed to achieve US$ 2.8 billion in 2024.

Minister Retno further affirmed the importance of a more balanced bilateral trade. Therefore, she asked New Zealand to open market access for Indonesian tropical fruits and to strengthen investment and capacity building programs for agriculture and farming in Indonesia.

She also hoped that trade cooperation, such as ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and RCEP can be used to boost the two countries' trade and investment. Minister Retno Marsudi added that New Zealand can be a partner in energy transition. One of the cooporations that can be developed is geothermal. A partnership in this energy sector has been shown among many by Flores Geothermal Island in West Nusa Tenggara and pipeline development in Maluku in the framework of New Zealand-Maluku Access to Renewable Energy Support (NZMATES).