Kazakhstan, the biggest economy in Central Asia, is ready to supply wheat, meat and fuel to Indonesia, says a top Kazakhstan diplomat.

'We are the second biggest producer of oil and gas among the former Soviet Union countries after Russia. We are also a major producer of wheat and meat. We are ready to provide these items to Indonesia,' Kazakhstan Ambassador to Indonesia Askhat T. Orazbay said at a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

The press briefing was organized by the Kazakhstan Embassy in connection with two important celebrations: The Day of the First President (Dec. 1) and Independence Day (Dec. 16).

Kazakhstan's offer would appear to have come at the right time.

Under the leadership of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of the G20, is striving to attain food and energy security.

According to Kazakhstan's Oil and Gas Ministry, the country produced 1.64 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 42.3 billion cubic meters of gas in 2013. It exported 1.4 million bpd to China, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Austria in 2013. Kazakhstan's oil production may reach 1.73 million bpd in 2014.

The Central Asian nation, in recent years, has emerged as a major producer of wheat and wheat flour. According to gain.fas.usda.gov, last year, Kazakhstan, which has the world's biggest dry steppe and vast agricultural land, produced 13.95 million tons of wheat and exported 7.5 million tons to several countries such as China, former Soviet Union countries, Iran, Russia and others.

'We have very high quality wheat and wheat flour. We are looking for Indonesian buyers,' Ambassador Orazbay told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the briefing.

Currently, Indonesia is the second biggest importer of wheat and wheat flour in the world after Egypt.

As far as meat is concerned, Kazakhstan is fast emerging as a key supplier of premium beef. Last year, the Astana Times reported that the total meat production in Kazakhstan reached 871,000 tons. At least 5,000 tons of top-class beef was exported in 2013.

'Many people in Indonesia do not know that meat ' both beef and lamb ' from Kazakhstan is much tastier than meat from many countries. We don't use growth stimulants in our meat industry. We grow cows and lambs naturally,' Orazbay said.

Recently in May, globalmeatnews.com reported that Kazakhstan temporarily banned imports of some types of beef from Australia after finding the growth stimulant trenbolone in the beef.

Orazbay said that the relations between Kazakhstan and Indonesia have been put on a higher trajectory especially after the visits of both countries' presidents in 2012 and 2013.

'We are ready to work with President Jokowi's administration. Both countries have huge economic potential,' Orazbay said.

Due to a lack of information on both countries, the bilateral trade is very small but it is growing very fast.

'Our trade with Indonesia reached US$170.9 million -- $130.3 million exports and $40.6 million imports ' in 2013, a big jump from $57.2 million in 2012,' Orazbay said

What caused this tripling of bilateral trade?

'Last year Indonesia bought oil and products from Kazakhstan. That is why there was a big increase in our trade,' Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Foster Gultom told the Post in Astana recently. (***)

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