Indonesia Explores Milk Imports from Belarus for Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto is exploring opportunities for cooperation on milk imports from Belarus. The move is intended to increase milk supply to support the national strategic programme, Free Nutritious Meals (MBG). The exploration was discussed during a meeting between Minister Airlangga and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Viktor Karankevich, on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Belarus Business Forum and Business Matching in Jakarta on Tuesday. The meeting was a follow-up to the 8th Joint Commission Session between the two countries. Besides dairy products, both countries focused on strengthening agricultural cooperation through the use of modern technology. Belarus expressed its readiness to share experience in agricultural mechanisation, including the development of harvesting tools, agricultural transport, and the construction of local assembly facilities in Indonesia. ‘Indonesia sees the importance of encouraging cooperation that provides tangible benefits for both countries, including through joint investment and the development of strategic projects that can be low-hanging fruits in Indonesia-Belarus economic relations,’ Airlangga said. Several major Belarusian companies such as MAZ, BelAZ, and Minsk Tractor Works (MTW) are seen as having significant opportunities to expand their presence in the heavy industrial vehicle and agricultural machinery manufacturing sectors in the country. The government is also pushing for the acceleration of the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti noted that the trade value between Indonesia and the EAEU has reached 5.3 billion US dollars. However, bilateral trade specifically with Belarus currently stands at 221 million US dollars. ‘There is still a very large room for improvement,’ Dyah Roro Esti stated. In the field of human resources, Minister Airlangga emphasised that strengthening education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM), is a priority to enhance national competitiveness through higher education collaboration between the two countries.