Indonesia Explores Cooperation in Various Fields with California
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is exploring economic, investment, and technological cooperation with the US state of California to strengthen economic and institutional relations with the American region.
According to a press release from the Indonesian Consulate General in San Francisco on Wednesday, these opportunities were discussed by the Consul General of Indonesia in San Francisco, Yohpy Ichsan Wardana, during a meeting with California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and CEO of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Marcie Frost, at the Indonesian Residence.
“Indonesia and California have characteristics that can complement each other. California with its strengths in innovation, technology, and capital, while Indonesia with its market scale, growth, and strategic position in Southeast Asia,” emphasised Consul General Yohpy.
One focus of the discussion was pension fund management and long-term investment. Indonesia expressed interest in learning best practices from CalPERS, which is known as one of the largest pension fund managers in the United States.
Fiona Ma emphasised the importance of strong governance in managing public funds, while Marcie Frost stated that the success of the pension system is not only determined by the size of assets but also depends on institutional discipline and a long-term orientation.
In addition, both parties also discussed opportunities for cooperation in clean energy and sustainable investment. Indonesia outlined its national energy transition priorities, while the California side expressed interest in deepening cooperation in green financing.
In the technology sector, including artificial intelligence, Indonesia emphasised that its utilisation is directed to support national development, such as increasing productivity, resource management, and disaster mitigation, while still paying attention to governance aspects so that it can be used responsibly.
The discussion also covered potential collaboration in the energy, minerals, and electric vehicle sectors, including strengthening downstream processing of strategic commodities such as nickel, which plays a role in the global battery ecosystem.
In the fields of education and research, both parties assessed that the existing cooperation with several universities in California needs to be strengthened to support technological collaboration and applied research.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of subnational diplomacy as a means to expand more concrete and results-oriented international partnerships.
In the future, strengthening relations with California, which is one of the world’s largest economic centres, is considered important in Indonesia’s strategy to expand global cooperation that supports national development.
As a note, relations between California and the Special Region of Yogyakarta have been established through a sister province scheme since 1995.