Tanjung Lesung Ready to Become Indonesia's 'Ulaanbaatar', Mongolian Embassy Partners with Jababeka (KIJA)
The Mongolian Embassy in Indonesia is aggressively utilising the momentum of Jakarta Marketing Week 2026 to strengthen the promotion of tourism, culture, as well as trade and investment opportunities to the Indonesian public and business community.
This strategy culminates in a special session titled Go Mongolia, held from 6-10 May 2026, with the primary target of attracting investors for the development of the Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone (KEK).
Mongolia’s initiative explicitly targets cooperation with PT Jababeka Tbk (KIJA), the manager of KEK Tanjung Lesung. The presence of Irene, Deputy Head of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing who also holds accreditation for Mongolia, and Jababeka Founder S.D. Darmono, who holds the status of Mongolian Cultural Envoy, signals strong cross-border collaboration in the tourism and investment sectors.
In his opening remarks, the Mongolian Ambassador to Indonesia, D. Enkhtaivan, emphasised that 2026 is an important milestone as it marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Indonesia. This historic moment, according to Enkhtaivan, must be translated into concrete steps to expand bilateral cooperation.
“2026 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Indonesia. This is an important momentum to expand bilateral cooperation and strengthen people-to-people relations through tourism, cultural collaboration, and business partnerships,” said Enkhtaivan in front of the invited guests on Wednesday (7/5).
The Go Mongolia forum was also attended by several Indonesian business figures, including Hermawan Kartajaya, founder of MCorp and marketing expert as well as organiser of Jakarta Marketing Week 2026. Hermawan’s presence strengthens the positioning of this event as a strategic forum for international business matchmaking.
In addition, S.D. Darmono, founder and Chairman of PT Jababeka Tbk (KIJA), was present in his capacity as Mongolian Cultural Envoy, providing strong legitimacy to the plans to develop Tanjung Lesung as a Mongolian cultural hub in Indonesia.
Both delivered views on Mongolia’s potential on the international stage and the steps that have been taken to introduce the country to the global market.
Darmono specifically highlighted the readiness of KEK Tanjung Lesung as a showcase for Mongolian tourism and investment.
“Tanjung Lesung has the infrastructure and vision aligned to become a centre for Indonesian-Mongolian cultural collaboration,” asserted Darmono.
Meanwhile, Irene, Deputy Head of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, also conveyed congratulations and provided an overview of the development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Irene, who oversees relations with Mongolia, emphasised that economic interactions between the two countries show a positive trend.
“Relations between Indonesia and Mongolia continue to develop, with expanding opportunities for cooperation in various strategic sectors, including tourism and regional investment,” said Irene.
In addition to featuring speakers from Indonesia, the event also involved representatives from the Mongolian Investment and Trade Agency and the Office of the Governor of Bayankhongor Province virtually.
In their presentations, they detailed the investment climate, trade facilitation, and flagship tourism opportunities in central Mongolia, which have yet to be widely explored by the Southeast Asian market. This presentation opens the door for Indonesian investors to enter Mongolia’s mining, renewable energy, and eco-tourism sectors.
As a concrete part of the Jakarta Marketing Week 2026 series, the Mongolian Culture Center located in the Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone also opened a special exhibition booth.
The booth intensively introduces cultural heritage, craft products, and premium Mongolian tourism packages to visitors.
The event was enlivened by performances from Indonesian students presenting traditional Mongolian dances, as a symbol of people-to-people connections that form the foundation of diplomacy between the two countries.
This structured promotional approach is seen as a smart strategy for Mongolia to expand its penetration into the Southeast Asian market, with Indonesia as the main gateway. By partnering with figures such as Deputy Ambassador Irene and Jababeka boss S.D. Darmono, and utilising the assets of KEK Tanjung Lesung owned by the listed company coded KIJA, Mongolia is sending a serious signal for long-term investment.
With the momentum of 70 years of diplomatic relations, the two countries are seen to have greater room to develop cross-sector collaborations, from tourism and culture to infrastructure investment in the future.
It should be noted that the Mongolian Culture Center (MCC) has been established since 2017 in KEK Tanjung Lesung, Banten, as the only Mongolian cultural center in Southeast Asia.
This destination, managed by PT Banten West Java (BWJ), a subsidiary of Jababeka (KIJA), brings an authentic Mongolian steppe atmosphere to the Banten coast with materials imported directly from Mongolia.
Visitors can explore and stay in authentic GER tents designed by Mongolian architects, try on costumes of kings, queens, and war commanders, practice archery on a 5-20 meter range, and enjoy educational cultural tourism on Mongolian culture, bone games, and the Genghis Khan statue.
The MCC is located at Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort, Pandeglang. Visitors staying in the Tanjung Lesung area often receive free access by showing their room key.