Speaking in Jakarta on Thursday, Roeslani said that French investors have a great opportunity to develop the sector in Indonesia, which has a renewable energy potential of around 3,700 gigawatts, of which only 1 percent, or about 13.08 gigawatts, is currently being utilized.
This potential is spread across various regions, with the largest sources being solar energy and geothermal potential of 23 gigawatts—the largest in the world.
"I believe this is a very good and productive meeting. Besides presenting Indonesia's potential, we also received a lot of useful feedback to strengthen collaboration, both from the private sector to the government and among the private sector," Roeslani informed.
"This is important so that we can continue to refine our existing policies and regulations," he added.
Meanwhile, the French Ambassador to Indonesia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste, Fabien Penone, conveyed his government's commitment to encourage the strengthening of economic relations with Indonesia.
French companies have been actively investing in various sectors in Indonesia, ranging from nickel mining to banking. However, he noted that there is still room for further growth.
"The strengthening of relations between France and Indonesia is a top priority for our government. French President (Emmanuel) Macron and President Prabowo Subianto have discussed this matter several times," Penone said.
"This is why this meeting is very important for French companies to have the opportunity to engage in discussions with the Indonesian government," he added.
In addition, vice chairperson of MEDEF International and chairperson of the France-Indonesia Business Council, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus, highlighted the potential for cooperation in infrastructure, energy, and decarbonization sectors.
He expressed optimism that the visit of the French business delegation would yield positive results.
Based on data from the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming, France ranks fourth as the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Europe.
The investment is focused on five leading sectors: housing, industrial areas and offices, machinery and electronics industry, food industry, hotels and restaurants, and trade and repairs.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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