Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 07:48 AM

Indonesia, Canada explore critical mineral, nuclear energy cooperation

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Bayu Saputra, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday (Sept. 16) to discuss investment in critical minerals and explore cooperation in nuclear energy.

Carney hosted Airlangga on the sidelines of the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto following his telephone conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in June, during which the two leaders discussed expanding trade and investment ties between Indonesia and Canada.

“Indonesia is ready to become a strategic partner to Canada, and we are open to expanding cooperation across sectors prioritized by both countries,” Airlangga said in a statement cited in Jakarta on Thursday.

The minister welcomed the inaugural summit as proof of Canada’s strong commitment to global investment.

During the meeting, he discussed potential Canadian investment in potash to support Indonesia’s fertilizer production.

The discussions also covered potential partnerships in the oil and gas sector and follow-up initiatives on critical mineral cooperation under the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICACEPA).

Airlangga noted that building safe and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals would benefit both countries, given their significant potential and productivity in the sector.

Regarding energy cooperation, he voiced Indonesia’s interest in working with Canada to strengthen its nuclear energy capacity as part of the national energy security agenda, particularly through the development of small modular reactors (SMRs).

He also welcomed the mutual ratification of ICA-CEPA, expressing hope that the cooperation framework would take effect by the end of 2026.

The bilateral agreement, Airlangga added, is expected to facilitate businesses from both countries in expanding cooperation in the food, energy, and critical mineral sectors.

In addition to bilateral ties, the two officials exchanged views on Indonesia’s strategic role as Southeast Asia’s largest economy in connecting Canada with the broader Indo-Pacific region.

The Toronto meeting marked a step toward strengthening bilateral relations ahead of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2027.

Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab, who attended the meeting, said he would follow up on the discussions by coordinating with Canadian partners in Ottawa to translate the commitments into concrete cooperation initiatives.

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