Indonesia Explores Deeper Cooperation with Uzbekistan
TASHKENT – Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, has stressed that in the face of global economic uncertainty and rising trade barriers, resilience can be achieved by forging cooperation with strategic partners. She made the remarks during a bilateral meeting to follow up on the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation between Indonesia and Uzbekistan, held in Tashkent on Tuesday.
“Indonesia views Uzbekistan as a key strategic partner and an important economic hub in the Central Asian region. The trade and investment relationship between the two countries is crucial to explore further in order to balance the trade architecture and create more resilient value chains,” explained Deputy Minister Roro.
She also expressed appreciation for the positive trade trend between the two nations, which continues to show significant development. “I am optimistic about the positive trend in our bilateral trade. In 2023, the trade value between the two countries surpassed USD 100 million and continues to grow. Bilateral trade turnover increased by 49 per cent over the past five years, reaching USD 181.4 million in 2025, almost 23 per cent higher than the previous year,” she detailed.
During the meeting, representatives from both countries also discussed the Indonesia-Uzbekistan Free Trade Agreement. According to Deputy Minister Roro, the official launch of the IU-FTA negotiations on 2 March 2026 marks an important milestone that underscores the strong commitment of both governments to strategic steps in the trade sector. “This initiative will effectively connect the largest economy in Southeast Asia with the fastest-growing economy, technology centre, and start-up hub in Central Asia,” she stated.
Uzbekistan’s position at the heart of the Silk Road serves as a gateway for Indonesian products seeking to access wider markets in Central Asia and the broader Eurasian region. Conversely, Indonesia serves as a strategic entry point for Uzbekistan into the dynamic markets of Southeast Asia. “As a next step, Indonesia hopes to commence technical-level discussions to finalise the Terms of Reference before holding the first formal negotiation round. To facilitate this process, Indonesia is ready to provide an initial draft of the Terms of Reference for the negotiations,” Deputy Minister Roro explained.
She further conveyed that Indonesia welcomes the growing interest of Uzbek investors in Indonesia. The significant growth recorded in recent years demonstrates promising potential for stronger investment cooperation in the future. “Going forward, Indonesia encourages closer cooperation between investment authorities and the business community to identify new opportunities in strategic sectors, including agriculture, fertilisers, manufacturing, renewable energy, tourism, the halal industry, and the digital economy,” she said.
Deputy Minister Roro also welcomed collaborative initiatives between the two countries to empower the small and medium enterprise sector and provide greater opportunities for SMEs to become prominent global players. “Moreover, I firmly believe that business-to-business engagement is a crucial growth engine that translates government-to-government commitments into concrete business deals,” she asserted.
On the occasion, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, Ibrohim Ergashev, put forward several discussion proposals across various sectors for the inaugural JWG meeting at the senior official level in the near future, as a forum to comprehensively discuss and strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade in goods and services and investment. Deputy Minister Ibrohim also expressed support for strengthening collaboration in SME empowerment, including capacity building and market access for women-owned and women-managed SMEs.
Uzbekistan is Indonesia’s 103rd non-oil and gas export destination and 58th non-oil and gas import source. In 2025, total Indonesia–Uzbekistan trade amounted to USD 181.4 million, comprising exports valued at USD 72.6 million and imports at USD 108.8 million. Indonesia’s main export products include margarine; animal, vegetable, or microbial oils and fats; copra coconut oil; soap; organic surface-active products and preparations; and uncoated paper and paperboard. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s main import products are mineral or chemical fertilisers containing potassium; pulp from fibres; unwrought aluminium; electrical machinery and equipment; and insulated wire and cable, including coaxial cable.