Indonesia-Turkmenistan Partnership Part of Efforts to Strengthen South-South Cooperation

JAKARTA - Indonesia's partnership with Turkmenistan is part of a broader effort to strengthen South-South cooperation, as global political and economic uncertainties increase.

This was said by the Director General of Asia, Pacific and Africa of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Santo Darmosumarto, at the First Senior Official Political Consultation Meeting (The 1st Senior Official Political Consultation) in Jakarta, Tuesday.

The meeting was an important milestone in bilateral relations and confirmed the commitment of both countries to strengthen cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural fields, as well as multilateralism.

The Indonesian delegation was led by Ambassador Santo Darmosumarto, while the Turkmenistan delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Ahmet Gurbanov.

In his remarks, Director General Santo Darmosumarto emphasized the importance of placing the Indonesia-Turkmenistan partnership as part of a broader effort to strengthen South-South Cooperation amid increasing global geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

"Indonesia believes that in the midst of an increasingly fragmented global order today, the Bandung Spirit needs to evolve beyond historical symbolism into a tangible framework for South-South Cooperation, in line with Indonesia's Active Free foreign policy and Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality policy, in strengthening peace, sustainable development, humanitarian solidarity, and realizing a more inclusive global order," said Ambassador Santo, quoted from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (15/7).

This meeting reviewed the implementation of existing bilateral agreements and agreed to accelerate the completion of a number of legal instruments that are still being discussed, including regarding visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, inter-agency cooperation between prosecutors, cooperation in eradicating money laundering and terrorism financing, and cooperation in the fields of youth and sports.

Both parties also reaffirmed the importance of strengthening coordination at the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations on issues of common interest.

Economic cooperation is one of the main focuses of the discussion. Both countries reaffirmed the energy sector as one of the main pillars of bilateral cooperation and agreed to deepen collaboration throughout the energy value chain through the development of energy infrastructure, technology transfer, capacity building, and commercial partnerships.

Both parties also encourage the strengthening of cooperation between business actors, welcome the increasing interaction between the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, and mutually invite the respective governments and business circles to participate in the Trade Expo Indonesia 2026, Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan (OGT) International Conference and Exhibition, and Turkmenistan Investment Forum (TIF).

In addition, Indonesia and Turkmenistan also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of higher education, research, tourism, and connectivity through partnerships between universities, scholarship programs, academic exchanges, joint research, tourism promotion, and various practical steps to improve relations between the two countries. people and the business world.

Indonesia welcomes Turkmenistan's interest to strengthen its engagement with ASEAN and encourages Turkmenistan's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan expressed its interest in exploring various opportunities to increase interaction between ASEAN and Central Asian countries. Both delegations also exchanged views on developments in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, and reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, respect for international law, and multilateral cooperation in advancing peace and stability at the regional and global levels.

On the sidelines of leading the Turkmenistan delegation to the Political Consultative Meeting, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Anis Matta, the Deputy Minister of Trade, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.