The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh and Nepal, H.E. Listyowati, held a courtesy call with Bangladesh Foreign Adviser H.E. Touhid Hossain in Dhaka, Bangladesh (February 5).
The meeting took place in a warm and constructive atmosphere, affirming the commitment of both countries to continue strengthening the strong bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Bangladesh, which has existed for more than five decades, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and energy, which are key pillars of the partnership between the two countries.
On this occasion, Ambassador Listyowati emphasized Indonesia’s position as Bangladesh’s third-largest trading partner and Bangladesh’s role as a strategic partner in the South Asian region. In line with this, Indonesia considers the completion of the Indonesia–Bangladesh Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to be an important step in deepening market access and creating a balanced trade balance.
In the energy sector, Ambassador Listyowati stated that energy cooperation is one of Indonesia’s priorities. Therefore, Indonesia is encouraging the optimization of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation agreed between the two countries and Indonesia’s desire to be more involved in other strategic energy projects in Bangladesh.
Ambassador Listyowati also stated that Indonesian investment in Bangladesh continues to show tangible progress, including the opening of the first Alfamart retail outlet on January 27, 2026, and the continued investment of PT Japfa Comfeed in the livestock sector. This development reflects the prospects for stronger and more sustainable economic cooperation, while also contributing to job creation and human resource capacity building.
In addition to economic cooperation, Ambassador Listyowati also conveyed the priority of strengthening partnerships within Indonesia’s chairmanship of the Developing Eight (D-8) for the 2026–2027 period, including in the areas of the halal economy, the blue economy, digital transformation, and sustainable development.
The two sides also discussed strengthening cooperation in the fields of defense and security, socio-cultural issues, education, connectivity, and enhancing people-to-people contact as important foundations for a more comprehensive bilateral relationship.
Indonesia and Bangladesh have established diplomatic relations since 1972, and the relationship continues to develop positively across various political, economic, social, and cultural fields. This coming year will mark the 55th anniversary of Indonesia-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, which is expected to be a significant momentum to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, oriented towards tangible results and mutual benefit.
This meeting is part of the initial series of duties of Ambassador Listyowati after officially presenting her Letters of Credence to the President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Bangabhaban, Dhaka, on January 22, 2026.
