New Zealand Foreign Minister Meets Defense Minister Prabowo

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters (right) met Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) in Jakarta on Thursday (14/3/2024). (ANTARA/HO-New Zealand Embassy)

JAKARTA - New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters met with Defense Minister RIPrabowo Subianto during his visit to Jakarta, to discuss the future of relations between the two countries in the years to come.

During the meeting, Peters congratulated Prabowo, who based on the results of the recapitulation by the KPU was superior in the vote acquisition for the 2024 presidential election.

"We welcome the opportunity to meet with Minister Prabowo to discuss strengthening our comprehensive partnership, including the longstanding defense and security interests, and also to congratulate him on the success of the campaign in the general election in Indonesia," Peters said in a written statement from the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, March 14.

"We hope to work well together with the next government," he said.

Discussions with Prabowo, which he calls Indonesia's current presidential candidate, aim to build stronger relations through various new collaborations for the good of the two countries.

Peters' visit is a continuation of the high-level relationship that has existed between Indonesia and New Zealand under the Government of the New Zealand Coalition, following Vice President Ma'Aruf Amin's visit to New Zealand and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's meeting with President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit last month.

"We were in Jakarta at the beginning of our new administration, this shows how important our relationship with Indonesia and Southeast Asia is as an area," he said.

In addition to meeting Prabowo, Peters also met with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi where the two discussed progress in achieving the bilateral trade target of 4 billion New Zealand dollars (around Rp. 38.4 trillion) by the end of 2024.

The two foreign ministers also discussed efforts to achieve the next trade target through increasing horticultural exports and halal products, diversifying broader products, and improving education and tourism relations.

"We hope to sign an agreement to recognize each other's halal products during the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Marsudi to New Zealand later. This agreement will provide guarantees for Indonesian consumers and exporters of New Zealand's dairy and meat products. Indonesia is an important market for New Zealand's halal products," said Peters.