Blanar Addresses Slovak-Indonesia Business Forum in Jakarta (2)

Jakarta, 4 February (TASR-correspondent) - A Slovak-Indonesian business forum was held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Tuesday (3 February), a special TASR correspondent reported on the same day. The event, attended by 20 representatives of 16 Slovak companies taking part in the business mission, was addressed by Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD). According to the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry, the aim of the forum was to strengthen the trade partnership between Slovakia and Indonesia and to identify new opportunities for cooperation. "Slovakia is a member of the EU and an ally of NATO, but that doesn't mean that it can't cooperate with other countries. We're an open, export-oriented economy in the heart of Europe, and although 80 percent of our trade takes place within the EU, the remaining 20 percent is with the rest of the world," said Blanar in his address, adding that the Slovak government therefore pursues a foreign policy oriented in all four cardinal directions, of which the Indo-Pacific is an integral part. Slovakia's chief diplomat pointed out that this region accounts for more than 64 percent of global GDP and is a key partner for Slovakia. During the forum, the Slovak business delegation presented the potential for cooperation in the areas of information and communication technologies, digitisation and startups. The minister also sees significant potential in modern agricultural technologies, water and waste management, industrial automation and robotics, as well as in transport and logistics, and particularly in nuclear energy. Representatives of Slovakia's Export-Import Bank (Eximbanka) and the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) also attended the event. On this occasion, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) and SARIO signed a memorandum of cooperation in the fields of trade, industry and investment. The signing of the memorandum was welcomed by both the Slovak and Indonesian foreign affairs ministers, with Blanar emphasising that tens of thousands of local companies belong to KADIN. As part of the forum, the head of Slovak diplomacy also met KADIN chairman Anindya Novyan Bakrie at the organisation's premises. Blanar also met Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and Archbishop of Jakarta Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo in the Indonesian capital on Wednesday. On Thursday (5 February), the minister's work programme will continue in Singapore, where he's set to meet Singapore's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang and then attend a presentation on business and investment opportunities. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 4 and 5 and has been updated in the final paragraph. am/df