Indonesia and Kuwait deepen energy and trade cooperation

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, met Kuwaiti Ambassador Khalid Jassim Alyassin in Jakarta and affirmed the two countries will continue cooperation on energy resilience amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. The discussion highlighted Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company’s participation in eight oil‑and‑gas exploration projects across Indonesia, including sites in Buton, the Natuna Sea, East Kalimantan and the Anambas archipelago, building on a 2019 MoU for oil, gas and petrochemical collaboration.

Both sides also pledged to accelerate negotiations on a free‑trade agreement between Indonesia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, targeting completion by the end of 2026. Trade between the two nations rose 10.69 % to US$606 million in 2025, while Kuwaiti investment in Indonesia increased to US$1.2 million, largely in the energy sector.