Senior business executives from  The Netherlands have been invited to intensify   their investment and business engagements with an economically expanding Indonesia.

In welcoming Dutch Prime Minister, H.E. Mark Rutte, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, H.E. Lilianne Ploumen, and Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Sharon Dijksma, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister, H.E. Hatta Rajasa said both countries have long historical relationships which both can collectively draw upon to take the economic partnership to a new high.

In his opening remarks at a CEO Round Table Meeting today in Jakarta, the Coordinating Minister said a new chapter in bilateral relations is unfolding with  a Joint Declaration on Indonesia-The Netherlands Comprehensive Partnership agreed between the leaders of Indonesia and The Netherlands yesterday and , that opens up immense potential for a “win-win” situation.

“We welcome The Netherlands to work with us on the many development potential under our Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development, MP3EI, with their globally acknowledged technical expertise particularly in water resources management and related sectors including their financial collaboration under private-public partnership arrangement,” Hatta Rajasa said to the meeting.

“I am happy to note that you are already discussing with Indonesian counterparts such plans   under the Master Plan for National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD).

“I further also encourage your investors to look into cooperation opportunities in agriculture and agro processing, horticulture, food security, education and health sectors and in tourism and creative economy.”

The Coordinating Minister highlighted the growing trading relationship between the two countries in Indonesia’s key export areas.

“Around nine per cent of our Crude Palm Oil (CPO) goes through the Port of Rotterdam, making The Netherlands our third largest export destination of our CPO.

“In this regard, I wish to acknowledge Unilever’s integrated palm oil operations and their investment in a palm processing plant in Semangke, North Sumatra, as an example of the deepening of agro-processing industrial development which we welcome very much.”

The Coordinating Minister concluded his comments at the CEO Roundtable Meeting by drawing the attention of Dutch business people to Indonesia’s potential as a gateway to the ASEAN Economic Community.

“In two years from now Indonesia and the other nine member nations of ASEAN will be fully integrated into a single market and production base under the ASEAN Economic Community.

“Each of the ASEAN economies has its own growth potential, and together will form a huge market of more than 600 million people in the world’s with fast growing economies.

“Indonesia, with our 240 million population, with around half below the age of 30, and our trillion dollar economy, will be an important anchor for the AEC.

“I urge The Netherlands investment and business community to work with us to explore how we can use Indonesia as a spring board to expand into ASEAN member economies huge economic potential.”

High-level representatives from Indonesia and The Netherlands attending the CEO Round Table included Indonesia’s Minister of Industry, H.E. Mohamad Hidayat, Minister of Trade, H.E. Gita Wirjawan, Minister of Agriculture,H.E. Suswono,  Minister of Development for Disadvantaged Regions, H.E. Helmy Zaini, Chairman of BKPM, H.E. Mahendra Siregar, the President of the Confederation of The Netherlands Industry and Employers, Bernard Wientjes, the Chair of APINDO, Sofjan Wanandi, and the Chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Suryo Sulisto.