Imagine a pair of shoes with Italian design and Indonesian craftsmanship. Those are the fruits of mutual partnership Industry Minister MS Hidayat had in mind when he met with Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata and his 31 business delegates in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“I have asked for a ‘G-to-G’ agreement on footwear industry cooperation. We need a footwear designer consultant for small and medium enterprises, such as shoemakers in Cibaduyut and Sidoarjo. We discussed it with the foreign minister earlier today and will be followed up by our staff,” Hidayat said after a bilateral meeting.

The meeting was held in conjunction with the signing of a joint venture agreement between Indonesian vehicle component maker PT Astra Otoparts and Italian tire company Pirelli & C. SpA for the construction of a motorcycle tire plant with a total investmen...