UK reaffirms commitment to supporting Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship

Jakarta (VNA) - The United Kingdom (UK) on June 5 reaffirmed its strong commitment to supporting Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship in 2023 through the visit of the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and ASEAN Richard Graham.

In a press statement, the British Embassy in Jakarta announced that Graham’s visit to Indonesia from June 5–7 highlights the UK’s strong support for Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship. During the trip, Graham will meet Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto to discuss the UK’s support for a number of economic deliverables of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2023.

Graham is also scheduled to meet Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, National Development Planning Minister/head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa, and head of the New Capital City Authority (OIKN) to discuss potential commercial collaboration in Nusantara.

Besides, he will also visit Surabaya and meet several interlocutors, including Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi to discuss trade and investment opportunities in sustainable transport, defence, green energy, and education.

In Jakarta, Graham will also meet ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn to enquire how the UK can further support ASEAN in its economic integration journey post 2025.

UK Ambassador to ASEAN Sarah Tiffin said that 2023 is the second year of the UK’s Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN, and marks one year of the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action and driving forward the delivery of the plans it contains.

The UK supports Indonesia’s ambitious agenda as ASEAN chair, including to progress the region’s economic integration efforts, Ambassador Tiffin said, adding that the UK is proud to support this, including through the delivery of the priority economic deliverables (PED) Indonesia has identified./.