Indonesia and UK Launch Economic Growth Partnership to Unlock Future-Ready Trade
Indonesia, UK Launch Economic Growth Partnership to Unlock Future-Ready Trade
Oleh - Naura Sofia Rahmanita
Editor - Lasti Martina
27 Feb 2026
Voice of Indonesia
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia and the United Kingdom have officially launched the UK-Indonesia Economic Growth Partnership (EGP), marking a new phase in bilateral relations.
The framework, unveiled on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, is designed to move beyond traditional diplomacy by focusing on concrete and measurable outcomes for trade and investment.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, described the EGP as a practical and future-oriented instrument to navigate global economic shifts while driving inclusive growth.
“EGP is a practical and future-oriented cooperation instrument. This partnership is expected to present real, measurable benefits and provide certainty for the business world in developing trade and investment between the two countries,” she said during the launch, as quoted on the ministry’s official website on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
The partnership covers priority sectors, including trade, services, the digital economy, investment, supply chain resilience, thegreen transition, sustainable development, infrastructure, transport, energy transformation, and human capital development. These areas are expected to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Deputy Minister Roro emphasized that the EGP is designed to bridge government-to-government agreements with business-to-business transactions, creating a more predictable regulatory environment to encourage long-term investment.
She also highlighted the importance of open market access, regulatory certainty, policy predictability, and legal guarantees to support business expansion.
The launch also raised the prospect of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). While Indonesia currently benefits from the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), a CEPA would provide a more permanent framework for market access.
“CEPA is very important to maintain and increase the value of trade between the two countries sustainably. Through future CEPA negotiations, it is hoped that it can open wider market access, encourage increased trade performance, strengthen regulatory certainty, and create a more comprehensive and long-term cooperation framework,” Roro said.
British Minister for the Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra noted that the existing GBP 4 billion trade and investment relationship provides a strong foundation for the partnership. “The UK and Indonesia share the belief that growth must be sustainable and inclusive. The success of this partnership will be measured by real, measurable, and concrete benefits for the business world and the people in both countries,” she said.
Following the launch, Deputy Minister Roro held a bilateral meeting with Minister Malhotra to discuss Indonesia’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The UK’s support is considered an important endorsement for Indonesia as it navigates the accession process. ***