JAKARTA: Indonesia and Singapore want to deepen ties and collaboration as they commemorate 60 years of bilateral relations next year, said the foreign ministers of both countries on Tuesday (May 12).
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who began a three-day visit to Jakarta on Monday, met his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono on Tuesday morning.
Singapore and Indonesia’s bilateral projects, like the Nongsa Digital Park in Batam and the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java, have continued to flourish, and they see good prospects for further growth, especially in the digital and green economies, Dr Balakrishnan said at a joint press conference with Mr Sugiono after their meeting.
“That is why we are looking for more opportunities to enhance our engagements with the large number of provinces in Indonesia,” he said.
Both sides are also looking for opportunities to work more closely with Malaysia, he said, citing the renewal of the Singapore-Johor-Riau Islands partnership, or SIJORI.
“This is a partnership which I believe can deliver tremendous benefits to all three countries. Within our region, we also hope to see more investments in transport connectivity and digital projects, and to also bring to reality the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Power Grid.”
Mr Sugiono, who goes by one name, said: “These past six decades, I think Indonesia and Singapore have built a very strong partnership defined by strategic trust, mutual benefit, and shared purpose.”
He said they also spoke about the preparation for the upcoming Leaders’ Retreat and reviewed concrete progress across various sectors, such as energy, cross-border activity, trade, energy development, and investment.
“We are hoping to have the largest electricity project, especially (from) sustainable (energy),” Mr Sugiono added.