Deputy Minister Of Foreign Affairs Encourages Cooperation In Production Of Electric Vehicle Batteries With Australia

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Wamenlu) Pahala Nugraha Mansury (right) met with Australian Minister of Industry and Science Ed Husic (left) in Jakarta on Tuesday (25/7/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Kemlu RI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Wamenlu) Pahala Nugraha Mansury encourages cooperation in the critical mineral sector and the production of electric vehicle batteries with Australia.

The encouragement was conveyed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in a meeting with the Australian Minister of Industry and Science, Ed Husic, in Jakarta, Tuesday, July 25.

"The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pahala encourages the strengthening of cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in the downstream sector and industrial supply chain, joint production (joint production) for electric vehicles, climate change and food security," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reported by ANTARA.

At the meeting, Pahala said that the two countries had potential in cooperation in the production of electric vehicle batteries (EV) by utilizing Australia's nickel and lithium reserves.

To that end, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs encourages the implementation of cooperation between Kadin and the Western Australian Government which was signed during the Annual Leaders Meeting in Sydney on July 4, 2023. The agreement is intended to build a critical mineral industry and a high-value electric vehicle battery.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also conveyed that this cooperation is in line with the priority of downstreaming the industry to make Indonesia an important part of the global supply chain.

Several Indonesian SOEs have also invested in Australia, including cooperation between Mining Industry Indonesia (Mind ID) and Australian company BCI Minerals which was signed during President Joko Widodo's visit to the Annual Leaders' Meeting in early July.

"I hope that Indonesia can also be the hub that connects Australia with other countries, so that Indonesia can become part of the supply chain industry of the future," explained Pahala.

The meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Pahala and Minister Ed Husic also discussed the implementation of climate cooperation and food security projects between the two countries.

In the field of climate change, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs encourages the realization of cooperation in capture and storage of carbon capture and storage in Arun, Aceh, as well as the production and distribution of blue hydrogen (blue hydrogen).

In addition, Pahala also encourages cooperation in the field of food security, including livestock and sugar. One of the collaborations that can be developed is research on the development of biotheanol.

Meanwhile, Australia's Minister of Industry and Science said that Australia and Indonesia have the same ambition, namely reducing emissions, increasing employment, and becoming a powerhouse in battery manufacturing.

Australia is also exploring other more efficient battery technology, not only for electric vehicles but also for long-term commercial industries.

The meeting with the Australian Minister of Industry and Science was the first meeting at the ministerial level held by Pahala Mansury since serving as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In line with the focus of the task given to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the meeting discussed a lot about increasing strategic economic cooperation between the two countries.