MM Rahmatullah: Bangladesh and Indonesia have agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations by expanding trade and investment, improving connectivity, enhancing disaster-management cooperation and deepening collaboration on regional and global issues.
Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh Ms. Listyowati paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Humaiun Kabir at his office on Wednesday, where the two sides discussed a broad range of issues of mutual interest.
The meeting focused particularly on expanding economic relations between the two countries. The State Minister urged Indonesia to increase imports of Bangladeshi goods and services, saying greater market access would help deepen and diversify bilateral trade.
Bangladesh also expressed its readiness to move bilateral trade relations towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which could create greater opportunities for businesses in both countries by reducing trade barriers and encouraging investment.
The Indonesian ambassador, in response, reaffirmed her support for diversifying Bangladesh’s exports to Indonesia. Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals were specifically mentioned as an area with potential for greater access to the Indonesian market.
Investment cooperation was also discussed, particularly in the energy sector, where both countries see scope for stronger engagement.
With both Bangladesh and Indonesia highly exposed to natural disasters, disaster management emerged as another important area of discussion.
State Minister Kabir expressed Bangladesh’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Indonesia in this field. The ambassador supported the proposal and stressed the importance of exchanging knowledge, sharing successful practices and developing institutional capacity to reduce the impact of natural disasters.
Such cooperation could be particularly valuable for Bangladesh, which regularly faces cyclones, floods and other climate-related disasters, while Indonesia also has extensive experience in dealing with earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and other natural hazards.
The Bangladeshi side also requested Indonesia to make visa processing easier for Bangladeshi nationals.
The State Minister said improved visa facilitation would help promote tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. Education and training, capacity building and cultural cooperation were also discussed as areas where bilateral ties could be expanded.
The two sides also exchanged views on consular matters and the importance of increasing high-level visits to maintain momentum in bilateral relations.
The discussion also extended beyond bilateral relations to Bangladesh’s growing engagement with regional economic and political platforms.
State Minister Kabir sought Indonesia’s support for Bangladesh’s aspiration to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN and to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Ambassador Listyowati reaffirmed Indonesia’s continued support for these initiatives.
For Bangladesh, stronger engagement with ASEAN and RCEP could open additional avenues for economic cooperation and regional connectivity at a time when the country is seeking to diversify its export destinations and strengthen its position in Asian supply chains.
The meeting covered a wide range of issues, including trade and business, energy investment, disaster management, education and training, tourism, cultural exchange, consular affairs and cooperation on regional and international matters.
At the end of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to working closely together at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
The discussions signal an effort by Bangladesh and Indonesia to give their longstanding relations a more economic and practical dimension, with greater emphasis on trade diversification, investment, connectivity, human development and cooperation in addressing common challenges.