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Indonesia, Portugal strengthen renewable energy cooperation
The most senior diplomats of Indonesia and Portugal have agreed to pursue cooperation on renewable energy and palm oil, despite the former's insistence that the European Union is being discriminatory against its top export.
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Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho (left) speaks as his Indonesian host and counterpart Retno LP Marsudi looks on during a press event at the Pancasila Building in Central Jakarta, on July 24, 2023. (Courtesy of Foreign Ministry/Abi)
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arking the first high-level diplomatic visit to Indonesia in over a decade, Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho on Monday met with his counterpart Retno LP Marsudi in Central Jakarta, where the two diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to boosting the Jakarta-Lisbon trade relationship and plans to explore non-traditional economic cooperation.
Despite enormous opportunities for cooperation in certain areas, the Indonesia-Portugal relationship has so far not been effectively pursued, said Cravinho, adding that intensifying cooperation would prove beneficial for the two countries.
Investment, palm oil cooperation, energy cooperation and maritime cooperation were discussed, Retno explained.
“First, on investment. There has been a remarkable growth in our investment value. [Portuguese] investment in Indonesia significantly grew by 2,000 percent from 2019 to 2022. Indeed, this is a record-high number,” Retno said, underlining that renewable energy and the blue economy have been set as current investment priority sectors.
Read also: Massive speedup in construction only way to meet green power target: Experts
In 2021, investment realization from Portugal amounted to US$1.65 million across 13 projects, according to data from the Foreign Ministry.
A $2 billion investment pledge from Energias de Portugal (EDP) Renewables for a floating solar project in Batam, Riau Islands, was also announced during the visit.
