Indonesia Targets Central Asian Market at Tashkent Forum
JAKARTA - The Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) 2026 in Uzbekistan is being utilised by Indonesia to target the Central Asian market for its products and investment. Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Dyah Roro Esti, stated that the Indonesian delegation’s presence at the event is part of efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s economic diplomacy.
“At the same time, it expands trade and investment opportunities with Uzbekistan and countries in the Central Asian region,” Roro Esti said in a statement on Sunday (21/6/2026).
She said Indonesia views Uzbekistan as a strategic partner in broadening economic cooperation in the Central Asian region, which possesses promising growth potential. “Indonesia’s presence in Uzbekistan is not only to strengthen bilateral relations, but also to open wider opportunities for Indonesian business actors,” the Deputy Minister stated at the opening of the forum, which took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
She added that her party wants to ensure Indonesian products are increasingly recognised and have greater market access in the Central Asian region. In line with efforts to diversify the national export market, Indonesia also views Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region as strategic partners to expand mutually beneficial trade and investment cooperation.
TIIF 2026 was officially opened by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and attended by a number of world leaders, including President of Albania Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Belarus Aleksandr Turchin, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev, and Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda.
The presence of these leaders demonstrates the growing importance of Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region as a centre of global economic growth and investment. In his opening speech, President Mirziyoyev affirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to continuing economic reforms, improving ease of doing business, and strengthening an open and competitive investment climate.
The forum also serves as a platform for world leaders, investors, and business actors to discuss opportunities for cross-regional economic and investment cooperation. According to Roro Esti, her working visit to Uzbekistan is also being used to encourage the follow-up of various economic cooperation agendas that have been agreed upon by the two countries.
Additionally, Indonesia and Uzbekistan continue to explore accelerating negotiations on the Indonesia-Uzbekistan Free Trade Agreement (IU-FTA) as an important instrument to increase market access, reduce trade barriers, and create greater opportunities for business actors in both countries.
She added that Indonesia and Uzbekistan’s economic relations show a positive trend and still have significant room for further improvement. Therefore, concrete steps are needed to expand the diversification of trade products, increase investment cooperation, and strengthen business connectivity between the two countries’ business actors.
During her time in Tashkent, Deputy Minister Roro also held a series of meetings with government officials, business partners, and relevant stakeholders to identify various cooperation opportunities that can support increased Indonesian trade and investment in the Central Asian region.
TIIF 2026 took place from 16-19 June 2026 and was attended by thousands of participants from various countries, including government officials, global investors, international financial institutions, and business actors from various strategic sectors. This forum is one of Uzbekistan’s main platforms for strengthening its position as an investment and trade hub in the Central Asian region.