Federal Councillor Schneider-Ammann in Indonesia: meetings focus on science and free trade

Bern, 14.07.2017 - Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann visited Indonesia on 13 and 14 July with a delegation of Swiss business and science representatives. He met the minister of research, technology and higher education, Muhammad Nasir, trade minister Enggartiasto Lukita, and industry minister Airlangga Hartarto, and was also received by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for a courtesy visit. The main topics of discussion during the various meetings were the ongoing free trade negotiations between EFTA and Indonesia and cooperation in the field of science.

Talks focused on the ongoing free trade negotiations between EFTA and Indonesia and the renewal of the bilateral investment protection agreement. These are important agreements for Swiss investors. Indonesia, with its population of over 240 million inhabitants and annual growth rates of 5% holds great potential for Swiss businesses. To improve access to this promising market Mr Schneider-Ammann was present at the opening of the Swiss Business Hub Indonesia. This means that Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) now has a local office for its export and location promotion activities.

One key topic during the bilateral talks was economic development cooperation between Switzerland and Indonesia. Switzerland has been heavily involved in development cooperation since 1997 with the aim of promoting long-term economic growth for the whole Indonesian population. The country strategy for the next four years was launched during Mr Schneider-Ammann’s visit. Around CHF 75 million has been allocated towards Switzerland’s economic development cooperation with Indonesia between 2017 and 2020.

Mr Schneider-Ammann, accompanied by a high-level scientific delegation, attended a seminar on innovation and science parks where he gave a closing address with the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Mr Mohamad Nasir. The members of the scientific delegation also visited a number of leading university and research institutions with which various cooperation projects are in progress.

Indonesia is one of Switzerland’s major partners in Asia and there is interesting potential for strengthening scientific cooperation as long as the foundations are laid without delay. That is the conclusion of a study conducted among Swiss higher education institutions by the ETH Zurich, which is a Leading House for Asia. As part of its international strategy to strengthen cooperation in the field of education, research and innovation, Switzerland is attentive to possibilities of cooperation with new potentially emerging countries.


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