I will be using this visit to highlight Scotland’s world leading companies and products, our research expertise, and the many investment opportunities available…Jakarta (ANTARA) - Scottish Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise Ivan McKee is visiting Indonesia from February 12–14, 2023, to strengthen relations and unlock new business and investment opportunities.
Minister McKee is scheduled to meet global industry leaders during his visit, according to a statement issued by the British embassy in Jakarta on Monday.
Indonesia is the largest economy in South East Asia and the world’s fourth-largest country in terms of population.
With growing consumer spending power and a shift toward more premium products, it offers particular potential for growing Scottish food and drink exports, the British embassy said in the statement.
During his visit to Indonesia, Minister McKee will meet Indonesia’s Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif to discuss possible collaboration in areas such as carbon capture and storage, decommissioning, and capacity building around energy transition.
McKee is also scheduled to meet with Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno to discuss tourism, arts, and cultural partnership as well as representatives from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to learn about Indonesia’s space sector, key projects, and explore ways in which Scottish and Indonesian companies can work together.
He will also attend meetings with companies in the life sciences and renewable energy sectors, an event in Jakarta with senior alumni of Scottish universities, and roundtable talks with potential investors.
Indonesia and Singapore both are very important markets and have significant economic opportunities in areas such as health tech, space, energy transition, as well as food and drink, McKee said.
Scottish companies have long been using Singapore due to its strategic location at the center of Southeast Asia to support access to other markets in the region, he added.
"I hope to see more cooperation in Indonesia too," he said.
"I will be using this visit to highlight Scotland’s world leading companies and products, our research expertise, and the many investment opportunities available, as we drive toward our ambitious net zero targets," McKee added.
Meanwhile, British Chargé d'Affaires Matthew Downing said that as a future top-five economy, Indonesia’s importance will grow across the UK’s bilateral agenda.
"Following the launch of UK-Indonesia Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) last year, the two countries agreed (on) concrete steps to facilitate increased trade in priority sectors, including clean growth, sustainable infrastructure, transport, food and drink," Downing noted.
He expressed the hope that Minister McKee’s visit will help support Scottish firms to trade their world-class products and services in the Indonesian market.
"I hope it will also help Scottish and Indonesian companies to seize potential business opportunities in this significant and dynamic market, which serves as an important gateway to the region," Downing said.
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Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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