By Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL (AA) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday vowed to foster "a more robust and mutually beneficial trade partnership," with Indonesia.
Lula made the remarks during a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta. He arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday for trade talks.
“Indonesia is a crucial and strategic partner for Brazil in our efforts to solidify the position of Global South countries,” Lula said during the meeting at Jakarta’s Merdeka Palace, according to the state-run news agency Antara.
Lula also underscored the need for Indonesia and Brazil to strengthen and renew their 17-year strategic partnership in various fields.
"I would like to convey that it is with great joy that I return to Indonesia after 17 years. In 2008, we established a strategic partnership, and since then, relations between the two countries have developed very positively," he said.
"I come with high hopes of renewing our strategic partnership and exploring new agreements, not only in bilateral trade, but also in investment in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centers, to deepen collaboration in scientific and technological innovation," Lula stated.
He also emphasized the significance of educational cooperation and called for policies that support balanced trade between Brazil and Indonesia.
Official data show that bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly $4.4 billion between January and August this year. Brazil and Indonesia first established diplomatic ties in 1953.
After departing from Indonesia on Friday, Lula will next travel to Malaysia, where he will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Lula’s visit comes three months after Prabowo’s official trip to Brazil.