Indonesia and Uzbekistan agree to establish food and trade committee

A joint intergovernmental committee will coordinate Indonesian-Uzbek cooperation on food security, trade and investment following an agreement reached in Tashkent on 29 October. The talks brought together Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Investments, Industry and Trade Jamshid Khodjaev.

The committee is intended to help both governments follow up on the outcomes of bilateral discussions and set the direction for further economic cooperation. In a statement, Hasan said Indonesia’s self-sufficiency should help broaden markets for its products and open investment opportunities benefiting both countries.

Agricultural commodities were among the subjects discussed, including possible imports of dried fruits from Uzbekistan that would have to meet strict food safety standards. Hasan cited increases of 13.54 per cent in Indonesian rice production and 9.34 per cent in corn output, alongside government rice reserves of 4.58 million tons.

Trade between the countries amounted to US$181.4 million in 2025, rising 48.9 per cent compared with 2021. Negotiations for an Indonesia–Uzbekistan Free Trade Agreement began in March 2026, while direct flights connecting Jakarta and Tashkent are also planned.

On 30 October, Hasan held separate discussions with Aziz Abdukhakimov, Chairman of Uzbekistan’s National Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. They explored possible collaboration on waste-to-energy technology, sustainable agriculture and conservation management.

Indonesia aims to have at least 18 waste-to-energy plants operating by the end of 2029. It also shared its restoration experience: roughly 2 million hectares of degraded land were rehabilitated between 2015 and 2025, including 90,000 hectares of mangroves.