Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir on Saturday urged state companies to adopt a more aggressive approach to seeking new business opportunities amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

He said that SOEs should view the renewed hostilities between Iran and Israel not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to drive business development through strategic corporate actions.

"We must be more aggressive, as we were during the COVID-19 pandemic. We executed numerous corporate actions, including consolidations, mergers, and seeking new partnerships at that time," Erick said.

SOEs must maintain business momentum, demonstrating to the global community that Indonesia can achieve stable economic growth despite the uncertainties posed by geopolitical tensions, he said.

"Instead, the current situation is our momentum to seek new opportunities," he emphasized.

Erick also said that his ministry is actively seeking potential investors for Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI). This move follows announcements from Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Negara Indonesia, two other state banks, regarding their plans to divest their shares in BSI.

He stressed that strategic partners and investors play a crucial role in facilitating successful public listings for state companies.

"New investors will open up fresh markets. BSI is now going international by opening their new office in Dubai and is now awaiting approval to open a branch in Saudi Arabia," Erick said.

He said that he will travel to Qatar later on Saturday to explore strategic partners for state companies, particularly BSI, while his deputy, Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, will embark on a similar mission in Europe.

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Translator: Maria Cicilia, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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