JAKARTA: The agreement was reached during President Joko Widodo`s state visit to New Zealand on March 18-19, 2018. The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, was the first by an Indonesian leader in 13 years.
Moreover, Prime Minister Ardern praised the New Zealand-Indonesia business forum held in Auckland on March 16, 2018, and President Widodo`s in-depth discussions with business CEOs from New Zealand. Both leaders believe this would contribute to the deepening of two-way trade and investment links.
The business forum was divided into two sessions, with the first moderated by Head of Indonesia`s Capital Investment Coordinating Board Thomas Lembong.
Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Tantowi Yahya, the chief of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and business executives from companies operating in the pharmaceutical, palm oil, food, and geothermal sectors were among those present at the forum.
Arlinda led the Indonesian trade mission that began in Auckland on March 16, 2018, and ended in Wellington on March 19, 2018.
Ambassador Yahya lauded the potential trading recorded in the one-on-one business matching event. Yahya is optimistic that the demand for Indonesian products would be high in the New Zealand market.
“I am proud that this first trade mission to New Zealand has succeeded in recording huge potential transactions. This is a good step for the two countries to achieve a total trade of Rp40 trillion by 2024,” Yahya stated.
Indonesia`s bilateral trade with New Zealand in 2017 had increased by 15.72 percent to $1.19 billion compared to 2016.
In 2017, Indonesia`s total exports to New Zealand had amounted to $437.8 million, or 1.09 percent of New Zealand`s total imports. On the other hand, New Zealand`s total exports to Indonesia were valued at $751.1 million, or 0.47 percent of Indonesia`s total imports.
Prime Minister Ardern also confirmed New Zealand`s interest in participating in the 5th “Our Ocean” conference, to be held in Indonesia in October 2018.
