VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi met with British Minister of International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan in Jakarta on Wednesday as part of efforts to strengthen trade and investment relations between the two nations.

The meeting—the first of its kind—was held as part of the Indonesia-United Kingdom Joint Economy and Trade Committee (JETCO), which was agreed upon in April 2021.

"At the meeting, we discussed several issues, including ways to increase trade transactions between the two countries," Lutfi informed at an online press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The two countries also discussed cooperation in renewable energy, foods, beverages, and agriculture as well as the membership of the two countries at the G20 Forum and the World Trade Organization (WTO), he said.

"We also discussed further steps that the two countries can cooperate in the future," he added.

The two countries have also set up two working groups to follow up on cooperation agreements in the fields of green energy, foods, beverages, and agriculture, the minister said.

It is hoped that through the working groups, the two countries will be able to reach concrete agreements, including a free trade agreement (FTA) in the future, he said.

According to Trevelyan, the total value of trade between Indonesia and Britain has reached 2.6 billion pounds sterling.

The British government is keen to strengthen JETCO and look at the great potential for cooperation between the two countries, she said.

"Indonesia and the United Kingdom have the potential to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment " she added.  (Antaranews)