- MoUs pertain to trade, culture, health, education, and other sectors.
- PM Shehbaz, President Subianto vow to work together on goals.
- Pakistan aims to boost exports of agriculture goods and IT services.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in different sectors in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
The MoUs and agreements pertain to a wide range of sectors, including trade, culture, health, education, and vocational training.
Addressing a joint press stakeout afterwards, PM Shehbaz pledged to work closely with Indonesia to achieve the goals set for cooperation in various fields.
Referring to the current bilateral trade volume of 4.5 billion dollars, the prime minister said both sides discussed taking joint measures to balance trade, particularly through increased exports of agricultural products and IT services from Pakistan.
PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan will also send doctors, dentists, medical professionals, and other experts to Indonesia to help meet its needs in the healthcare sector.
The prime minister noted that Pakistan and Indonesia’s ties span over seventy-five years, with President Subianto’s visit coinciding with the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. He expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to celebrate this milestone in a meaningful way.
He recalled that Indonesia stood firmly by Pakistan during the 1965 war with a neighbouring country and said, the support will always be remembered by the people of Pakistan.
PM Shehabz expressed confidence that the Indonesian President’s visit will elevate the brotherly relations between the two nations to new heights. He said their shared commitment to working together for progress and peace, not only for their own countries but for the entire region.
Separately, following the MoU signing ceremony, the Indonesian president met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security, and bilateral defence cooperation were discussed. Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen existing ties between the armed forces of the two brotherly countries,” the military’s media wing said.
The visiting dignitary appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, CDF Field Marshal Munir reiterated that Pakistan values its longstanding relations with Indonesia and is committed to expanding defence collaboration in training, counter-terrorism, and capacity-building domains.
Bilateral talks
Furthermore, during the bilateral talks prior to the signing of the MoUs, PM Shehbaz and President Subianto reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.
These areas included political and diplomatic engagement, economic and trade relations, defence and security, health, education, science and technology, agriculture and environmental collaboration.
During the bilateral talks, the PM was assisted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, COAS and CDF Field Marshal Munir, cabinet ministers and senior officials, PM Office Media Wing, said in a press release.
Expressing satisfaction with the upward trajectory of bilateral trade, both sides agreed to review the Indonesia-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement (IP-PTA) to further expand the volume of bilateral trade, which currently stands at around $4 billion, while undertaking efforts to address the trade imbalance.
They particularly emphasised on the importance of expanding cooperation in the halal industry, trade in agricultural commodities, information technology, technical and vocational education etc.
The two sides agreed to promote collaboration in investments and joint ventures across diverse sectors, through enhanced cooperation between the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Indonesia (Danantara).
The prime minister expressed his appreciation for President Subianto’s welfare-oriented and people-centric initiatives, including the “Free Nutritious Meal Programme”.
While noting Indonesia’s interest in enhancing cooperation in the health sector, the Pakistan side agreed to explore ways to enhance cooperation through the exchange of medical professionals, mutual recognition of medical qualifications, and offering specialised training.
PM Shehbaz appreciated President Prabowo’s active diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in Gaza, including his role in pursuing ceasefire arrangements and delivering humanitarian assistance.
Both leaders appreciated the close and active cooperation between the two countries at multilateral fora, including the UN, OIC, and D-8.
The premier congratulated Indonesia on assuming the Chair of D-8 and assured the Indonesian president of Pakistan’s full support at this forum.
Earlier, upon arrival at the PM House, President Subianto was accorded a warm reception and a guard of honour as he arrived. The national anthems of Indonesia and Pakistan were played while both leaders stood on the saluting dais.
A smartly attired contingent of the three services of the Pakistan armed forces presented the guard of honour, which the Indonesian president reviewed.
President Subianto also planted a commemorative sapling in the lawn of the PM’s House.
The two leaders introduced their respective delegations to each other before proceeding to a one-on-one meeting, followed by talks at the delegation level.
This is President Prabowo’s first visit to Pakistan since assuming office, as the last presidential visit from Indonesia was undertaken by the then-President Joko Widodo in 2018.
— With additional input from APP
