Deputy Trade Minister Roro Meets ASEAN Counterparts, Outlines Indonesia's Plans
Jakarta – Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti held bilateral meetings with key strategic partners on the sidelines of the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) meeting held in the Philippines on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Deputy Minister Roro met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Sim Tze Tzin. The meetings focused on strengthening regional trade and investment cooperation.
In her meeting with Kim Yong, Deputy Minister Roro highlighted positive developments in bilateral trade relations, noting that Indonesia-Singapore trade had increased by 14.6% over the past five years, rising from US$16.85 billion in 2020 to US$19.32 billion in 2025.
“Indonesia-Singapore trade relations show very positive development. Going forward, we see significant opportunities to expand cooperation, particularly in promoting Indonesian exports with higher added value,” Deputy Minister Roro stated in an official statement.
During the meeting, Indonesia also reaffirmed its commitment to continue the accession process for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), viewing it as a modern trade framework that can strengthen economic integration in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Indonesia is committed to continuing the CPTPP accession process as part of our national economic transformation agenda and to strengthen Indonesia’s integration into a rules-based global trading system,” Roro explained.
Both sides also discussed regional economic cooperation initiatives, including progress in negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and various trade and investment cooperation initiatives.
“We are encouraging various regional economic cooperation initiatives, including DEFA and RCEP, to be continuously strengthened to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the region,” she added.
In a separate meeting with Sim Tze Tzin, Deputy Minister Roro also discussed efforts to strengthen Indonesia-Malaysia bilateral trade relations.
In 2025, total bilateral trade reached US$24.22 billion. Indonesia sees significant opportunities to expand market access and increase cooperation across various high-value sectors between the two countries.
The meeting also addressed strengthening bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including plans to convene a Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) and to strengthen investment cooperation through the Malaysia-Indonesia Investment Committee (MIIC).
Additionally, both countries discussed trade cooperation developments in border regions, including the implementation of the 2023 Border Trade Agreement (BTA) and efforts to accelerate cross-border trade normalisation at the Entikong-Tebedu crossing.
Through this series of bilateral meetings, Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to continued strengthening of open, inclusive trade cooperation oriented towards regional economic growth.
“Indonesia and Malaysia share strong trade relations. We see many opportunities to expand cooperation, including through increased high-value trade and strengthened economic connectivity in border regions,” she concluded.