Jakarta. UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will visit Indonesia on 25-26 June 2023 and will be meeting with Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan to discuss potential collaborations on economic security, critical minerals and the progress of the UK-Indonesia Investment Cooperation MoU signed last year. 

Dowden will also be meeting with National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) Head Hinsa Siburian to follow up on the recent UK-Indonesia Cyber Security Dialogue that took place in London in March 2023, sign an MoU on UK-Indonesia Cyber Security Cooperation, and launch a UK-funded cyber capacity building program for Indonesia. 

“There is a huge amount of potential to strengthen the UK’s relationship with Indonesia, as the largest economy in South East Asia,” Dowden said in a statement. 

“Our mutual trade and investment already increased by almost a third last year and as Indonesia Chairs ASEAN this year, we will support a free and open Indo-Pacific as a new ASEAN Dialogue Partner. Issues like access to critical minerals, free trade and cyber security affect all of our prosperity in an interconnected world.”

According to the British Embassy in Jakarta, the UK government has set out £13m to focus on strengthening key regional partnerships and growing mutual cyber security and resilience of international partners and increasing collective action to disrupt cyber threats. 

The Indo-Pacific Cyber Program will span three main areas of activity, including national threat detection and response, critical information infrastructure resilience, and cyber skills and awareness.

During his Jakarta trip, Dowden will also meet with ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Michael Tene to highlight UK support for Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and to discuss how the UK will deliver on its commitments under the ASEAN Dialogue Partner agreement.

“As ASEAN’s newest dialogue partner, the UK is committed to deepening our longstanding relationship and delivering a comprehensive ASEAN-UK Plan of Action, which includes upholding ASEAN centrality and strengthening cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges,” UK Ambassador to ASEAN Sarah Tiffin said.