Jakarta. Iran's ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, said that Iran and Indonesia can expand their economic cooperation, particularly in energy and food security, under President Prabowo Subianto's leadership.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, with its existing capabilities, is ready to assist Indonesia in enhancing cooperation in these vital sectors," Boroujerdi said in an exclusive interview with the Jakarta Globe.

In his inaugural speech as Indonesia's eighth president, Prabowo emphasized that national unity and food security would be top priorities for his administration. He also promised that all of Indonesia's natural resources would be managed for the greater good of the people.

Boroujerdi said that the groundwork for collaboration was laid during the visit of Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi in 2023, urging the need to finalize and implement the trade agreements signed during that visit.

The agreements between Indonesia and Iran will expand market access for Indonesian processed food, pharmaceuticals, rubber, paper, textiles, and footwear, while Iranian oil and aluminum are expected to benefit from reduced tariffs upon entering the Indonesian market.

Negotiations are expected to conclude in three years, with only seven rounds of talks.

Senior Trade Ministry official Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono said in May 2023 that Iran can be Indonesia's gateway to a wider region, particularly Central Asia. "This agreement will likely give us an opportunity to penetrate the surrounding markets, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan, or even Türkiye, with whom we still do not have a trade agreement," he said.

In a further demonstration of cooperation, Indonesia and Iran launched pilot projects for telerobotic surgery in May 2023 during Raisi's visit to Indonesia. This innovative technology allows surgeons to perform operations on patients remotely and is currently being implemented at Bandung’s Hasan Sadikin Hospital and Yogyakarta’s Dr. Sardjito Hospital. The countries had previously signed a contract in 2021 for the export of Iran-made Sina surgical robots and agreed to establish two advanced telesurgery centers in Bandung and Yogyakarta, according to the Tehran Times.

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Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials, was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2024, near the village of Uzi in East Azerbaijan province. Following this incident, 69-year-old cardiac surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in as Iran’s ninth president.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced that Indonesia and Iran's total trade value in 2023 reached $206.85 million, with Indonesia recording a trade surplus of approximately $183.41 million.

Indonesia's exports to Iran amounted to $195.13 million, or about 2.15 percent of the country's total exports to the Middle East. The main commodities exported to Iran include fruits, vehicles and their parts, and various chemical products.

In contrast, imports from Iran totaled $11.72 million, approximately 0.12 percent of Indonesia's total imports from the Middle East. The three main imported commodities are fruits, mineral fuels, and organic chemicals.