Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin will visit New Zealand next week, the first by an Indonesian leader since 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said that New Zealand and Indonesia have a “strong partnership”.
“The Vice President’s visit is an opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen this further, building on 65 years of partnership and looking ahead to Indonesia’s next administration.”
On the agenda includes bilateral trade and the “continued concern” for the Kiwi pilot held hostage in Papua, Phillip Mehrtens.
The Christchurch charter plane pilot flew onto a remote airstrip in the Papua highlands on February 7, 2023, and was ambushed by a group of armed men.
“New Zealand continues to work with Indonesia for the urgent and safe release of Mr Mehrtens.”
Peters said that Indonesia was a “growing powerhouse” and that “there is further room for our bilateral trade to grow.”
Indonesia is South East Asia’s largest economy and the world’s fourth largest country.
Annual two-way trade with Indonesia is worth almost $3.3b, with halal exports comprising nearly half of that.
Vice President Amin will have programmes in Auckland and Wellington, including meetings with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
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