JAKARTA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Foreign affairs ministers of Indonesia and Brazil, Retno Marsudi and Mauro Vieira, met on Monday in Jakarta to discuss enhancing their countries' economic and food cooperation as well as bolstering the voices of the Global South.
In a joint press conference broadcasted via Indonesian foreign affairs ministry's official YouTube channel, Marsudi encouraged cooperation between the two nations in the areas of science, technology, and renewable energy, particularly to assist food and energy security.
Marsudi emphasized the necessity of beginning negotiations with the Indonesia-MERCOSUR Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to eliminate all tariffs with the South American trade bloc of Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Brazil.
Collaboration between Indonesia and Brazil will contribute positively to facing world uncertainty and provide voices from the Global South, which includes emerging and least-developed nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania.
Brazil's leadership in the Group of 20 next year is a momentum to strengthen the voices of the countries of the Global South and become a positive force for promoting stability, solidarity, and equality, Marsudi added.
Vieira said that his nation was committed to ensuring Indonesia's food security and noted that both sides had decided to reactivate their strategic alliance for the following three years, from 2023 to 2026. Trade and investment, renewable energy, sustainable development, and health science and technology will all be major areas of concentration for the cooperation.
Brazil is Indonesia's largest trading partner and investor in Latin America. The Indonesian Trade Ministry reports that total trade between the two nations reached 5.38 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, with imports of iron ore, soybeans, and tobacco supplementing exports of rubber, polyester, cocoa, and auto components. ■
