Joint Statement on a new Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Indonesia and the United Kingdom: 21 November 2024

1. Today we, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the Republic of Indonesia, marked the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relations. We agreed to strengthen and revitalise our relationship through a new, deeper Strategic Partnership for the years ahead.

2. We committed to drive economic growth and want to see our bilateral trade grow to a level commensurate with the size of our economies. We share an understanding of the uncertainty in today's global politics and agreed to work more closely together to address global challenges. We will lead by example in pursuing a just and fair energy transition, cutting carbon emissions while protecting our natural environments and ensuring economic development.  This is in line with the commemorative theme of our 75th anniversary “People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace”.

A new UK-Indonesia Strategic Partnership

1. To that end, we have agreed to pursue a new, deeper Strategic Partnership between the UK and Indonesia that we will launch in 2025. It will deliver a more prosperous, secure and sustainable future for the people of both countries. It will provide a framework, grounded in the principles of mutual respect and cooperation, to deliver the full potential of our relationship, maximise the opportunities we see for the next five years and lay the foundations for our partnership over decades to come. It will also provide a framework that engages our respective businesses, academia and research institutions, cultural organisations and wider societies.

2. We welcome the MoUs and other agreements signed between our governments today, and the associated deals reached between our businesses. In addition, we are pleased to have made progress across all areas of our new Strategic Partnership:

Sustainable economic growth and human development

1. Recognising the magnitude of current global economic challenges, we agreed to pursue all avenues to boost trade between our countries, breaking down barriers to deliver growth and jobs in both countries. We agreed to work towards a new Indonesia-UK Economic Growth Partnership, in order to drive increased trade and investment between our two countries. We acknowledged the role of investment, and highlighted the potential to partner on advancing the energy transition and strategic sustainable industries as well as defence industrial cooperation.

2. The UK warmly welcomes Indonesia's application to join the OECD and will provide a package of technical support to assist Indonesia in delivering the reforms needed to meet the requirements for membership. The UK noted that Indonesia has also applied to join CPTPP, seeing the benefits of this dynamic trading group, and expressed its willingness to share its experience of the accession process.

3. As leaders of proud maritime nations, we appreciate the importance of the blue economy. In response to Indonesia's ambitions to scale up its fishing fleet, the UK outlined plans to support industry efforts to deliver innovative and sustainable high-end vessels, with an initial project under development. This will support jobs and growth in both countries, while harnessing UK financing technical expertise and green technology.  We also shared our concern over illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and agreed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources – in line with the UK-Indonesia Blue Planet Fund Country Plan. We further welcomed a partnership to strengthen the Indonesian Coast Guard's maritime surveillance and intelligence systems to enhance maritime safety and environmental protection.

4. We agreed on the importance of robust and diverse supply chains, including for critical minerals and food security. Building on our recently signed MoU on a Strategic Partnership on Critical Minerals, we welcomed the establishment of a Working Group to promote high quality ESG practices, reinforce green and sustainable supply chains, and build capacity in the minerals sector. We agreed on the need to harness innovation to bolster food security and strengthen food resilience while mitigating environmental risks, and agreed to deepen collaboration on agricultural productivity, agricultural technologies, and on forest and land administration.

5. Sharing the view that education, health, and research and innovation are essential to supporting long-term sustainable growth, we agreed to promote collaboration in these areas. We recognised the need for closer collaboration on artificial intelligence and related digital innovation. We welcomed the establishment of the first UK universities in Indonesia this year. We agreed to deepen our cooperation in the field of healthcare by supporting initiatives that enhance health education, specialist clinical expertise, and research and innovation.

6. We recognized the importance of proper nutrition in nurturing young minds and supporting their education. In this regard, the President outlined Indonesia's national programme to provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and expectant mothers with a view to attaining the Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision.  To this end, we looked forward to possible cooperation including through sharing of best practices and lessons learned in this area.

Defence and foreign policy

1. Building on our commitment to contribute to international peace and security, we agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in defence and security, including through a new 2+2 Foreign-Defence dialogue, a closer partnership on cyber security and continuing our cooperation on counter-terrorism, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders.

2. We also agreed to further our defence industrial partnership, including in the development of Indonesia's Merah Putih General Purpose Frigate Programme. We anticipate growing this partnership over the coming years, to further strengthen Indonesia's naval capabilities as well as our respective defence industries, supporting high value jobs and skills in both countries.

3. We agreed to reinforce our cooperation in multilateral fora, including the UN, G20 and ASEAN, and reiterated our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights.

4. In the context of the war in Ukraine, we underscored our commitment to uphold international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. For peace to be just and sustainable, it must commit to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and be built on the inclusive involvement of and dialogue between all parties. We further agreed that nuclear installations must be allowed to operate safely and securely in line with IAEA principles; that uninterrupted, global food security requires free, full and safe commercial navigation; that all prisoners of war must be released in accordance with international law.

5. On the conflict in the Middle East, we expressed our utmost concern over the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, and call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid, compliance with international humanitarian law, and de-escalation on all sides. We reaffirmed our commitment to a two-state solution, emphasising that it remains the only viable long-term solution where an independent State of Palestine and Israel live side by side in peace and security.

6. We also expressed our call for de-escalation of conflict in Lebanon and urge for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution. The UK expressed its appreciation for Indonesia's role in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission. We underlined the urgent need to ensure the protection of UNIFIL personnel and the inviolability of UN premises.

Climate Change, energy transition and sustainable development

1. To tackle the climate and nature crises, we underscored our commitment to keeping the 1.5 degrees temperature goal within reach, including through the submission by February 2025 of ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

2. We reaffirmed our commitment to accelerate funding disbursement through the Indonesian Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) to ensure its positive contributions towards Indonesia's Net-Zero target. Indonesia welcomed the UK's support for Indonesia's green transition. We looked forward to deepening our cooperation on sustainable infrastructure, building on our established record of leveraging green infrastructure to drive sustainable growth.

3. We agreed to establish a high-level policy dialogue on carbon pricing design and implementation to support the development of Indonesia's carbon finance market and drive Indonesia's green transition. We reaffirmed the importance of our partnership in protecting forests and fighting marine degradation, both to reduce emissions and protect the environment, while supporting livelihoods.

4. We also reaffirmed our commitment to accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including on disaster risk management, low carbon economy, and narrowing gaps on digital and technology.

Conclusion

1. The President and the Prime Minister looked forward to building on these steps within the framework of our new Strategic Partnership, through which the two countries will work together to make the next 75 years more prosperous, secure, and sustainable for all our peoples.