East Java, St Petersburg explore shipbuilding, health cooperation
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa co-chaired the bilateral meeting with Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg Alexander N. Belsky in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday.
“I consider this discussion highly productive. Existing cooperation already includes collaboration with the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in education, as well as preparations for the development of a shipbuilding industry focused on high-speed hydrofoil vessels,” she said after the talks.
Khofifah noted that a preliminary study had shown strong feasibility for developing a hydrofoil industry in Indonesia, given the country’s geographical characteristics as an archipelagic nation.
The governor described the potential hydrofoil project as strategically important, saying it could strengthen interregional connectivity and improve the efficiency of transportation and mobility.
In addition to the shipbuilding sector, she used the Surabaya forum to invite Saint Petersburg to cooperate in developing a cancer center and the optimization of digital technology.
“East Java is eager to foster cooperation in more specific fields to prepare a cancer center and collaborate on other spheres, including digital technology, to improve the quality of health services,” Khofifah said.
Meanwhile, Belsky highlighted that Saint Petersburg has been working to advance the strategic partnership between Russia and Indonesia, as agreed upon by President Vladimir Putin and President Prabowo Subianto.
On paradiplomacy, he emphasized that East Java and Saint Petersburg have significant potential for cooperation across a range of sectors, particularly healthcare, higher education, and port development, given that both regions are home to major ports.
He also expressed a commitment to creating more favorable conditions for cooperation between Russian and Indonesian businesses.
Related news: East Java, Uzbekistan explore religious tourism, cultural cooperation
Related news: East Java explores sister province cooperation with Samarkand
Related news: At 733, can Surabaya sustain growth without losing its soul?
Translator: Willi Irawan, Tegar Nurfitra