Kadin Should be Involved in Economic Diplomacy Program: Minister

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi called on the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to be actively involved in government’s economic diplomacy programs.

Retno viewed that Kadin could take part in improving Indonesia’s economic diplomacy by helping the government to map the relevance of the economic sector during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s working visit to foreign countries.

In addition, Retno expected that Kadin would help to formulate targets in the economic sector for partnering countries, as well as interpreting political investments conducted by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and partner countries to become investments with economic values.

“The government hopes that it can boost synergy and coordination with business owners to achieve targets set for economic cooperation with foreign countries,” Retno said in a press release as quoted by Antara on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

Retno also called on private sectors to help defining Indonesia’s economic interests to provide the government with a national interest mapping. Retno said that a clear national economic interest mapping would be necessary to facilitate the government in building cooperation with other countries, such as those for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also discussed President’s working visit in a meeting to provide real contribution for the development of the national economy.

ANTARA