Finland to boost renewable energy partnerships

JAKARTA. Finnish European Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Stubb was in Jakarta on Tuesday as Finland seeks to strengthen its economic partnerships with Indonesia, with a highlight on renewable energy cooperation.

Stubb met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on Tuesday morning, after which he was scheduled to meet Indonesian Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik,Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan and Agriculture Minister Suswono.

Stubb is accompanied by 24 Finnish business representatives from the energy, information technology, communication, forestry, industry and manufacturing sectors.

"Indonesia and Finland have agreed in the meeting (between Marty and Stubb) to encourage efforts to enhance our trade and investment ties,as well as energy partnership," Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The two ministers also underlined the importance of cooperation in the field of renewable energy within the framework of Energy and Environment Partnership," it added.

The two countries signed in February last year the Agreement on Cooperation in Energy and Environment Partnership between Indonesia and Finland.

Stubb said in a joint press conference after the Tuesday meeting with Marty that Finland was a "very trade-dependent" country and that it considered Indonesia as a major economic player with which it aimed to boost trade and investment partnerships.

Marty, meanwhile, said they also discussed regional issues in the ASEAN, in regards to Indonesia's chairing of the organization last year and plans for 2012, and in Europe, concerning the ongoing debt crisis, among other issues. (Erwida Maulia/ The Jakarta Post)