I

am delighted to be the first Irish government minister to visit Indonesia in a decade, at a time when Indonesia is strengthening its global profile: A well-established G20 country, a soon-to-be US$1 trillion economy, and a leader both within ASEAN and further afield.

As I move through the streets of Jakarta today, the financial crisis of the 1990s feels a world away. Indonesia’s recovery from those difficult days, and its transformation into the emerging economic giant we see today, is an inspiration to Ireland and other European countries now emerging from our own economic crisis.

Ireland today is undergoing a period of renewal. Like Indonesia in years past, Ireland is learning to adapt, to survive and hopefully to thrive in its recovery. As the minister responsible for public expenditure, this process of comeback, and renewal, is particularly close to my heart.

The Ireland which my government inherited from the previous administration, just two short years ago, was a country with a severely damaged economy, already mired in crisis for three full years.

Happily, I can report that our plan for recovery is working. The year 2013 will see our third straight year of gross domestic product (GDP) growth. We are poised to return to the bond markets on a sustainable basis.

In Ireland, a small, open economy, we see trade as a key driver of prosperity: Our exports are now at a higher level than they were before the economic crisis. We are making progress but we have still some way to go.

This progress is the result of collective national determination and sacrifice. Hard challenges remain, in Ireland and across Europe: in boosting competitiveness, in bringing down the numbers of unemployed, and in spurring stronger growth.

But we are on the right track. Indonesia’s experience shows us that sacrifice can pay off and that better days lie ahead.

I am here during Ireland’s EU Presidency, at a time when trade and investment between the EU and Indonesia are growing strongly. Over a thousand European companies have invested in Indonesia, supporting more than a million Indonesian jobs.

Despite the difficult economic backdrop of the last few years, Indonesian exports to the EU totaled ¤14.7 billion (US$19.8 billion) last year, well above the levels seen before the global financial crisis. Indonesia enjoys a trade surplus with the EU of more than ¤3 billion.

Yet we could be doing even better. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Indonesia and the EU would be a great way to boost bilateral trade, which still lags behind the EU’s bilateral trade figures with smaller SE Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

It would also give a boost to European investment, which could help Indonesia expand its industrial base and diversify the range of products it exports to markets like the EU.

There are tremendous mutual benefits to be realized if we act soon. Companies from Ireland and the rest of the EU want to invest in the strong growth which is forecast for Indonesia over the coming years.

Europe has taken some extraordinary action in responding to the global financial crisis: establishing the European Stability Mechanism and advancing a European Banking Union. Confidence is returning. For Indonesian industry, now is a great time to look again at trade and investment with Ireland and the rest of Europe, as economic recovery takes hold.

My visit to Indonesia marks the opening of a new chapter in our bilateral relationship with Indonesia. It is part of my government’s agenda to raise Ireland’s profile across ASEAN as it grows in importance as a business and financial hub in the 21st century.

You who live and work in Indonesia can be assured that I will take the message of Indonesia’s growth, economic dynamism and political leadership within ASEAN back to my colleagues at the Cabinet table in Dublin and at the Council of the EU in Brussels.

The writer is Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform of Ireland.