Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan Strengthen Industrial Cooperation, Sign MoU on Halal Industry Cooperation at INNOPROM 2026

Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan strengthen industrial partnership through a bilateral meeting between the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Asylkulov Iskender Esengeldievich, on the sidelines of the official opening of INNOPROM 2026 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Monday (6/7). This meeting also marked the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Halal Industry Cooperation between the two countries.

"For Indonesia, participation as a Partner Country is a strategic momentum to strengthen national industrial branding in the Eurasian market, open up investment opportunities and technology transfer, as well as establish new industrial partnerships including with Kyrgyzstan," said Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in Yekaterinburg (6/7). We hope this joint presence at INNOPROM 2026 becomes a starting point for more intensive and concrete industrial cooperation between the two countries.

In this year of 2026, Indonesia-Kyrgyzstan diplomatic relations step into the age of 33 years since being established on April 5, 1993, an important milestone that reflects a shared commitment to continue strengthening economic and industrial cooperation of both countries.

The Minister of Industry conveyed that the cooperative relations of both countries continue to show positive development. Total trade between Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan in 2025 reached USD 3.9 million, with an average increasing trend of 2.51 percent per year during the 2021-2025 period, entirely supported by the non-oil and gas sector. Indonesia's exports to Kyrgyzstan reached USD 3 million in 2025, with an upward trend of 7.47 percent per year; even in 2023, Indonesia's exports once reached the highest record of USD 6.51 million, driven by electrical machinery and equipment, palm oil, and processed food products.

Superior products of Indonesia's exports to Kyrgyzstan among others are vegetable fats and oils, organic chemicals, processed food, industrial machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals, as well as leather and tobacco products. Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports from Kyrgyzstan which are still limited are viewed as an opportunity, considering Kyrgyzstan's comparative advantage in the mining, agriculture, and textile sectors.

"Indonesia views Kyrgyzstan not only as a bilateral partner, but also as a strategic gateway to the dynamic CIS region, through Kyrgyzstan's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)," said the Minister of Industry.

This cooperation momentum is also supported by the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA) which was signed on December 21, 2025, in St. Petersburg. The agreement opens market access to the Eurasian region with a population of nearly 180 million people, with more than 85 percent of the trade value obtaining tariff preferences.

In the meeting, both countries also discussed a number of cooperation opportunities that are considered promising to continue to be developed. First, cooperation in downstreaming and mineral processing, considering the large potential of Kyrgyzstan's mineral resources such as gold, antimony, tin, and coal, which is in line with Indonesia's industrial downstreaming agenda. Second, cooperation in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, through technology transfer, joint ventures, as well as the promotion of Indonesian pharmaceutical products and medical devices in the Central Asia region. Third, cooperation in the food and beverage industry, through partnerships between business actors, product promotion, as well as exploring investment to expand market access and strengthen the food industry supply chain of both countries.

The signing of the MoU on Halal Industry Cooperation on the same day is expected to strengthen cooperation in halal industry development, knowledge exchange, human resource capacity building, halal product promotion, as well as private sector partnerships and investment of both countries.

The bilateral meeting with Kyrgyzstan is part of a series of bilateral meetings of the Minister of Industry on the first day of INNOPROM 2026, which also included meetings with a number of other countries. INNOPROM 2026 itself is participated in by nearly 900 exhibition participants from more than 50 countries on an area as wide as 50,000 square meters, making it the largest industrial exhibition in the Eurasian region.

The Ministry of Industry hopes the signing of the MoU as well as the discussion of various cooperation opportunities can be immediately followed up through official channels, so that it brings real benefits for the strengthening of the industries of both countries.