116 SMEs Of Synergy With 43 South Korean Importers, Minister Of Trade Zulhas We Hope To Improve Cooperation For Progress Of The Two Countries

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan synergized 116 national small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with 43 South Korean importers in exploring trade agreements.

Indonesia and South Korea are close friends with relations that have been established for fifty years. In terms of trade relations, there will continue to be improvements, including today," said the Trade Minister in a statement quoted by Antara, Thursday, October 21.

The Trade Minister believes that business actors from the two countries can create more cooperation and increase the scale of their cooperation for the progress of the two countries. This was conveyed by the Minister of Trade when opening the Indonesian Business Forum in South Korea in Jakarta.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan welcomed the efforts of Indonesian business actors and South Korean importers to continue exploring opportunities for increased trade between Indonesia and South Korea.

The Minister of Trade also hopes that the participation of South Korean business actors in the 37th Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) this year will further bring cooperation with Indonesian business actors in a good direction.

The Trade Minister conveyed to prospective South Korean buyers that Indonesia had ratified the agreement for a comprehensive economic partnership between Indonesia and South Korea (IKCEPA). The Trade Minister also said that this agreement would further facilitate trade relations between the two countries.

The Indonesian Business Forum (Korea) was initiated by Bank BNI with the Korean Importers Association (Koima). Also present were the Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Gandi Sulistyanto, the South Korean Ambassador to RI Park Taesung, Deputy President Director of BNI Adi Sulistyowati, and Chairman of Koima Kim Byung Kwan.

Also accompanying the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan were the Director General of National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade Didi Sumedi and the Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono.

Ambassador Gandi Sulistyanto conveyed that the momentum of the business forum, which was followed by exploring the trade agreement, also opened up opportunities for Indonesian SME actors to increase their export opportunities.

For this reason, this meeting must be used so that more trade opportunities are realized by Indonesian business actors, especially SMEs, with potential buyers from South Korea.

"In this forum, our sellers and buyers meet. We hope that from the direct meeting between business actors of the two countries at this momentum there will be various business agreements that can be facilitated by BNI," said Ambassador Gandi.

Meanwhile, Deputy President Director of BNI Adi Sulistyowati hopes that through cooperation with Koima, BNI foreign trade offices such as in Seoul, South Korea can be further utilized.

"BNI can facilitate business exploration between Indonesian exporters and potential buyers such as Koima, besides that BNI offices abroad have an important role in providing assistance services related to market insights and local regulations related to customs and taxation, as well as providing special financing schemes to Indonesian business actors starting from corporate, medium, and small scales so that they can penetrate the global market," he said.

On the other hand, KOIMA Chairman Kim Byung Kwan revealed that Koima is the right partner for Indonesian exporters to enter the South Korean market.

"Koima continues to play an important role in the trade sector in South Korea," Kim said.