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Estonia, Indonesia cozy up amid precarious geopolitical landscape
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Foreign Minister Sugiono (right) shakes hands with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna before a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on April 23. The meeting aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and explore opportunities for cooperation in the fields of trade and digitalization. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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s the global geopolitical landscape continues to veer toward unpredictability and intensifying tensions, Estonia has begun setting its sights on partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, exemplified by a recent high-level engagement with Indonesia to explore cooperation, particularly in the digital world.
Expanding partnerships beyond traditional alliances is an “existential” priority for Estonia, a nation bordering Russia, its top diplomat suggested, emphasizing that Tallinn has much to offer Jakarta in the fields of digital transformation, food and beverages as well as tourism.
In the first high-level Estonian visit to Indonesia in over a decade, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, accompanied by a business delegation, held a series of engagements with their Indonesian counterparts, meeting with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) on Tuesday and conducting a bilateral dialogue with Foreign Minister Sugiono the following day.
According to a statement from the Estonian Foreign Affairs Ministry, the visit aimed to explore potential cooperation across various sectors, with a strong emphasis on technology, and to “share views on [the] security situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific” regions.
On the first day of Estonia’s engagement in Jakarta, a CEO Business Forum was held, marking a key moment with the signing of a fresh Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) between Kadin and its Estonian counterpart, Kaubandus-Toostuskoda (KTK).
Hailed as a milestone in Indonesia-Estonia relations, the MoU reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to advancing trade, facilitating information exchange and fostering collaboration in the technology sector. It also aimed to establish investment guidelines and regulatory support to encourage cross-border business initiatives.
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