Indonesia and Switzerland Agree on Mineral and Metal Downstreaming Cooperation
The Government of Indonesia and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mineral and Metal Downstreaming on the sidelines of Industry Day 2026 in Basel on Tuesday (23/6). Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Ngurah Swajaya and Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Andrea Rauber Saxer initialled the document.
According to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Bern on Thursday, Ambassador Ngurah said the cooperation further strengthens Indonesia-Switzerland relations towards a more strategic partnership. “Indonesia and Switzerland share a common character where both countries, in accordance with their respective foreign policy principles, are nations that can communicate and cooperate with all countries, and uphold the same principles and values, such as multilateralism and international law,” he said.
He added that both countries also have a strong foundation for cooperation and remain committed to contributing to peace and prosperity. “Indonesia is a potential partner for Switzerland in strengthening industrial supply chains, while Swiss investment will be able to strengthen Indonesia’s industrial ecosystem towards Golden Indonesia 2045, as a leading industrial country,” Ambassador Ngurah stated.
The cooperation is a concrete follow-up to the visit of Swiss Federal Councillor for Economic Affairs, Education and Research Guy Parmelin and his bilateral meeting with Indonesian Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Roeslani in Jakarta in October 2025. This is the first time Switzerland has engaged in such cooperation, leveraging complementary strengths, particularly regarding Indonesia’s downstreaming programme.
“The impact of geopolitical dynamics requires Switzerland to diversify, especially to strengthen industrial supply chain resilience, by enhancing cooperation with non-traditional partners, particularly Indonesia within the ASEAN framework,” said Minister Parmelin. President of SwissMEM Martin Hirzel, the event organiser, emphasised that the strength of the Swiss-Indonesian relationship is not based on competition but on complementarity.
The 75-year relationship between Indonesia and Switzerland is also reinforced through various international agreements, including the Indonesia-EFTA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a Bilateral Investment Treaty, a Mutual Legal Assistance agreement, and cooperation in mineral and metal processing. Under the theme “Trust, Innovation, Partnership”, the two countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations with a spirit of strengthening cooperation based on mutual trust, a commitment to innovation, and an equal partnership.