Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto (L) and South African Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel (middle) (Photo: Ạntara) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on September 23 that he explored opportunities for cooperation with South Africa while meeting with Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel at the G20 Trade, Investment, and Industry Ministerial Meeting.
The two ministers discussed various aspects of potential cooperation, including mineral and coal, as well as efforts to cut dependence on fossil fuels according to the global agreement to reduce exhaust emissions and the impact of climate change.
During the meeting, Hartarto remarked that the transition to low-carbon energy is an important aspect to achieve climate resilience that supports the environment and creates more job opportunities.
He stated that Indonesia's energy transition efforts to become environmentally friendly were made through various national policies, such as the use of electric-based vehicles by supporting the development of electric vehicle batteries using the country's raw materials, such as nickel.
In addition, Indonesia, through its cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is preparing strategic steps for phasing down the use of coal-based power plants in terms of funding in line with the energy transition mechanism.
Patel, for his part, said the two countries have experience in managing the mining industry and processing raw materials, such as bauxite, copper, and aluminum.
Apart from discussing energy and mining cooperation, the discussion also focused on potential for cooperation in the halal and automotive industry and its components.
In the January-July period, two-way trade hit 2.06 billion USD, up 46.92% from the same period last year./.
