MINSK, 20 August (BelTA) - Belarus and Indonesia have significant potential to deepen cooperation, Sergei Aleinik, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic, told the media following a meeting with the Indonesian parliamentary delegation in Minsk on 20 August, BelTA has learned.
"Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia and a key partner for the Republic of Belarus in the region. For over 30 years, we have maintained warm, friendly relations and diplomatic ties that were established in 1993. They have been successfully developing across many dimensions," Sergei Aleinik said.
According to him, Belarus and Indonesia are keen on expanding cooperation across all areas. “We have an excellent political dialogue. Today, we had the opportunity to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation and discuss a wide range of issues related to further interaction not only in the parliamentary dimension but also in other areas, such as trade, economy, social and humanitarian matters and interregional cooperation. The Indonesian side pins great hopes on trade and economic cooperation, seeing Belarus as one of the gateways to the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union. In turn, we perceive Indonesia as a gateway to the Southeast Asian market," Sergei Aleinik noted.
“Our trade has posted strong momentum. In the first half of 2025, we already exceeded last year's trade, both in terms of exports and imports. Certainly, the potential of our countries allows us to aspire even greater highs.
We discussed promising areas of cooperation in industry, agricultural machinery, and also supplies of our dairy products and halal products, which completed certification at the end of last year. This opens new horizons for promoting our agricultural products to the vast market of Indonesia and addressing food security issues, which are a priority for this country,” Sergei Aleinik stressed.
Belarus and Indonesia have a fairly extensive legal framework. “Forty-four agreements have been signed, covering key areas of our cooperation. Another 16 bilateral documents are on the agenda, at various stages of coordination. We discussed the need to intensify work on these documents, which will expand the range of our interaction. This concerns medicine, where an agreement in healthcare is almost ready, and other fields,” the MP said.
The countries are interested in strengthening inter-regional cooperation. “Our proposals found support among Indonesian parliamentarians, and we agreed to accelerate work on the preparation and signing of a number of agreements involving Brest Oblast, Minsk Oblast, and Mogilev Oblast, as well as between our capital cities - Minsk and Jakarta. This will open new opportunities for trade, economic, social, humanitarian, and tourism cooperation,” Sergei Aleinik added. “We also raised the issue of simplifying visa requirements. Today, Belarusian citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, which is a convenient and accessible method of entry. However, we raised the question of establishing a visa-free regime for Belarusian citizens, and this initiative was met with a positive response and understanding from our colleagues at the parliamentary level. We hope these proposals will be considered by the Indonesian government and parliament in the near future and receive a positive decision, which would significantly simplify and strengthen our relations.”
Belarus and Indonesia have a fairly extensive legal framework. “Forty-four agreements have been signed, covering key areas of our cooperation. Another 16 bilateral documents are on the agenda, at various stages of coordination. We discussed the need to intensify work on these documents, which will expand the range of our interaction. This concerns medicine, where an agreement in healthcare is almost ready, and other fields,” the MP said.
The countries are interested in strengthening inter-regional cooperation. “Our proposals found support among Indonesian parliamentarians, and we agreed to accelerate work on the preparation and signing of a number of agreements involving Brest Oblast, Minsk Oblast, and Mogilev Oblast, as well as between our capital cities - Minsk and Jakarta. This will open new opportunities for trade, economic, social, humanitarian, and tourism cooperation,” Sergei Aleinik added. “We also raised the issue of simplifying visa requirements. Today, Belarusian citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, which is a convenient and accessible method of entry. However, we raised the question of establishing a visa-free regime for Belarusian citizens, and this initiative was met with a positive response and understanding from our colleagues at the parliamentary level. We hope these proposals will be considered by the Indonesian government and parliament in the near future and receive a positive decision, which would significantly simplify and strengthen our relations.”
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