There are several important collaborations and require our focusJakarta (ANTARA) - Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia Nadia Burger stated on Tuesday that Canada continues to advance the completion of the Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
"There are several important collaborations and require our focus. One of them is trade and investment. Currently, the negotiations, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is a free trade agreement, are going well and will help increase opportunities for business," she noted during an exclusive interview with ANTARA at her residence here on Tuesday.
The ambassador remarked that the CEPA agreement would offer much more opportunities and encouraged investors on both sides, in Indonesia and Canada, through steps that would offer certainty to investors.
She noted that Indonesia is an important country as well as a market for Canada while adding that there are myriad opportunities for Canadian businesses in Indonesia.
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"Canada and the investors, of course, have had a long-standing commercial relationship in the agricultural sector, and we provide wheat and fertilizers and soybean and many commodities to Indonesia. And what's really interesting about this is that actually, all of the foods that are exported here in Indonesia are transformed here and used for the local market or re-exported. Hence, it really contributes to Indonesia's economic growth," she stated.
The ambassador expressed hope that investment and interest from Canadian investors in Indonesia would continue to grow.
"Canadian investment in Indonesia is very high, and that's a very positive story across all sectors, such as the financial sector. We have companies established in Indonesia and in all the energy and other sectors that are very positive, and we want to grow," she noted.
According to the ambassador, the people of Canada and Indonesia are helping grow the economies of both countries and are involved in cooperation in other areas, such as green and sustainable development, related to climate change.
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She also said that the pandemic had affected the global community. However, he said, Canada has largely recovered from the pandemic, and Canada's unemployment rate is very low.
"Canadians are, of course, concerned by inflation. And that has an impact on the purchasing power, but overall, it has mostly recovered from the pandemic. Indonesia, in the G20 this year, is also helping other countries recover and be more resilient to the pandemic," she affirmed.
The ambassador explained that Canada and Indonesia have very strong and growing relations, and this year, the two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
"We've done a lot of things. Obviously, we're involved in a variety of sectors, trade and investment, politics, sustainable development, and other issues. And there's a lot we've done together," she said.
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Reporter: Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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