Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) and the Western Australian government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore partnership opportunities in critical minerals for the battery and electric vehicle (EV) industries.

The MoU signing was carried out in Perth, Western Australia, on Tuesday.

In a written statement issued on Tuesday, Kadin Indonesia chairperson Arsjad Rasjid expressed the hope that synergy between Indonesia and Western Australia in battery industry development will improve Indonesia's competitiveness in the global market and create job opportunities for the Indonesian people.

"We must use this opportunity to jointly develop a battery manufacturing factory in Indonesia by taking advantage of Australia's lithium and profitable investment to realize the potential of Indonesia's nickel reserves and abundant workforce," he said.

The strategic partnership between Kadin Indonesia and the Western Australian government is an essential milestone for realizing the ambition to build a major EV production center, she added.

"We are very enthusiastic about cooperating with the Western Australian government to achieve common goals and explore opportunities for the development of critical minerals and battery industries that have added values," Rasjid said.

The MoU covers efforts to promote investment and cooperation for the common interests of Western Australia and Indonesia, especially on optimizing opportunities in developing critical minerals and battery industries with high added value.

As part of the cooperation, Kadin Indonesia and the Western Australian government will develop industrial partnerships in the supply chains of critical minerals in the two countries as well as share information on legal or regulatory updates.

The MoU is expected to accelerate cooperation and stimulate the development of the global battery and EV industries.

The partnership between Western Australia and Indonesia is expected to open vast opportunities in those sectors because the two countries have abundant mineral resources for producing EV batteries.

Australia is a major supplier of lithium, while Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer, which are vital components in EV batteries.

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Translator: Ade Irma, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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