MFA: Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Virolainen to join a Team Finland mission to Indonesia

She is returning the visit paid to Finland by the Indonesian Minister of Energy Ignasius Jonan in May 2018 as part of an exchange of visits based on an energy sector memorandum of understanding between Finland and Indonesia. The themes of the visit will be energy, waste management, logistics, infrastructure and the digital transition of industries.

“The Indonesian market will offer Finnish companies major potential for exports and cooperation well into the future. I wish to support the efforts of our companies in Indonesia, which is predicted to emerge as a third economic superpower aside China and India", notes Minister Anne-Mari Virolainen.

Finland’s largest export country in Southeast Asia

Indonesia is Finland’s largest export country in Southeast Asia. In 2017, Finnish exports to Indonesia grew by 63%, while imports went up by 33%. The trade volume exceeded EUR 400 million. Indonesia’s large-scale infrastructure and energy investments will provide attractive business opportunities for Finnish companies. In the meanwhile, the Indonesian government's new industrial digitalisation programme is adding another interesting dimension to the cooperation.

During her trip, Minister Virolainen together with Finnish business representatives will meet the Indonesian Minister of Energy Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Minister of State Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarnonja, Minister of National Development Planning Bambang Brodjonegoro and Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedani. Minister Virolainen will also attend the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Valmet and Indonesia’s state-owned energy company.

Discussions on a new investment credit instrument, the Public Sector Investment Facility, which Finland has offered as a new funding instrument for trade between Finland and Indonesia, will also be part of the mission. In addition, Finland’s planned trade policy instruments for promoting circular economy will be discussed.

Minister Virolainen will further attend a lunch for woman executives hosted by Shinta Kamdani, Vice Chairwoman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she will talk about the Finnish Chambers of Commerce’s internationally acknowledged programme for promoting woman executives and the role of woman executives in Finnish business life.

Minister Virolainen’s trade mission will be organised in cooperation with Business Finland, which is part of Team Finland.

Participating companies

• Fortum
• Wärstilä
• Valmet
• Outotec
• Vaisala
• BMH Technology Oy
• Raumaster Oy
• Finnvera
• SCS Consulting Oy

On 11 October, Minister Virolainen will continue her journey from Jakarta to Bali to attend the annual meeting of the World Bank Group (see separate press release to be published later).

Inquiries: Juha Kirstilä, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 40 552 8200. 

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ email addresses follow the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.