Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia during the Visit of Singapore’s Prime Minister, November 6, 2024

The honorable Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong;

Distinguished delegations of Singapore;

Esteemed members of the Red and White Cabinet;

My fellow countrymen;

Distinguished media colleagues.

First of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Welcome back to Jakarta. This is the fourth time I have met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

This visit is very meaningful, as it is the first official visit I have received from a foreign state guest since my inauguration as President of the Republic of Indonesia.

Singapore is one of Indonesia’s closest neighbors and a very important partner. We have good cooperation in bilateral and also within the ASEAN framework. We have aligned views on many issues, particularly to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

I hope this visit will be a momentum for us to enhance our cooperation even further in the future, especially in strategic and important sectors for both countries, including cooperation in defense, law, trade, investment, food security, and energy, as well as human resource development.

Esteemed guests,

Prime Minister Wong and I have held intensive and constructive discussions on several bilateral issues.

First, concerning defense and legal cooperation. Singapore and Indonesia are committed to fully implementing the Defense Cooperation Agreement, including the regulation of military training areas.

Second, concerning economic cooperation. Singapore is one of Indonesia’s largest trading partner and investors. I hope that Singapore can facilitate a greater market access for Indonesian products, including through harmonization of regulations and standards. We also discussed efforts to increase Singapore’s investment in Indonesia in priority sectors, including renewable energy, downstream industries, food security, digital and semiconductors, healthcare, as well as the Nusantara Capital.

Third, concerning low-carbon energy technologies. We discussed ongoing cooperation projects, including cross-border electricity interconnection, joint development for green hydrogen in Sumatra and solar power generation. We also agree to follow up cooperation on Carbon Capture and Storage.

Fourth, concerning food security. We discussed potential cooperation on technology transfer and exchange of expertise in the field of food security, particularly in urban agriculture and food estate development. We agreed to accelerate the completion of the MoU on food security and agricultural technology cooperation.

Fifth, concerning human resource development. We agreed to enhance cooperation in education, science, technology, digitalization, and professional exchanges.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In addition to bilateral cooperation, Prime Minister Wong and I also exchanged views on regional and international issues. We share the same view on the importance of maintaining regional and international peace and security amid the increasingly complex geopolitical situation.

Concerning the Middle East, I expressed deep apprehension over the situation in Palestine and Lebanon. I emphasized the importance of continuing to call for an immediate cessation of violence, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and the achievement of a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel based on international law.

Concerning Myanmar, we agreed to ensure the implementation of the five points of consensus, particularly the inclusive national dialogue and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Esteemed guests,

I would like to thank Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the entire Singapore delegation for the intensive and fruitful discussions. I am confident that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Singapore will continue to grow. I have already said that I will attend next year’s Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore at a mutually agreed time and place.

I think that conclude my remarks. We remain determined to make the relationship between Singapore and Indonesia stronger and more beneficial for both countries and for the Southeast Asian region.

Thank you very much.

(AW/LW)