Iran’s Private Sector Ready to Take Part in Indonesia’s Engineering Projects

TEHRAN (Iran News) Samad Hassanzadeh, president of the Iran Chamber, said Iranian private companies possess strong technical expertise and industrial capacity, enabling them to contribute effectively to major engineering and infrastructure projects in Indonesia. He emphasized that enhanced institutional coordination between the Iran Chamber and the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry would help remove existing barriers and create a smoother pathway for cooperation between businesses on both sides.

Hassanzadeh made the remarks during a meeting with Rollyan Shah Soemirat, Indonesia’s ambassador to Iran, where discussions focused on expanding trade, investment, and private-sector collaboration. He said the Iran Chamber is firmly committed to strengthening economic relations with Indonesia and has prioritized the exchange of trade delegations, business information, and market intelligence between the private sectors of the two countries.

Highlighting the strategic importance of Iran–Indonesia relations, Hassanzadeh pointed to the large populations of the two countries, which together approach nearly 300 million people and share strong cultural and religious ties as predominantly Muslim nations. He noted that these shared characteristics provide a solid foundation for cooperation across multiple economic sectors, particularly in the halal industry, which continues to experience strong global growth. In this context, he said Iran is eager to host Indonesian trade delegations at specialized exhibitions and trade fairs, while also sending Iranian business delegations to Indonesia to explore new commercial and investment opportunities.

Hassanzadeh also referred to Iran’s unilateral decision to lift visa requirements for Indonesian citizens, describing it as an important step toward closer people-to-people and business ties. He added that further facilitation of visa issuance—especially business visas for Iranian traders—would significantly support the expansion of bilateral trade, tourism, and health tourism, helping diversify economic cooperation beyond traditional sectors.

Addressing the broader economic environment, Hassanzadeh said that despite ongoing international sanctions, Iran continues to seek wider engagement with global partners, particularly in the economic and trade spheres. He explained that restrictions on the import of machinery and certain goods have driven Iran to develop strong domestic capabilities in advanced technologies that comply with international standards. These capabilities, he noted, are particularly evident in petrochemicals, food processing, agriculture, and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.

He also emphasized the importance of multilateral economic platforms, noting that Iran and Indonesia are both members of shared organizations such as the Developing Eight (D8). Hassanzadeh said these frameworks offer valuable opportunities to enhance cooperation, especially in areas where Iran has established strengths, including the export of technical and engineering services and the execution of refinery, oil, and petrochemical projects. Such expertise, he added, could be effectively utilized in Indonesia and other Islamic countries pursuing industrial and infrastructure development.

Reiterating the readiness of Iran’s private sector, Hassanzadeh said Iranian companies are well positioned to take part in Indonesia’s large-scale engineering and technical service projects. He stressed that chambers of commerce in both countries have a critical role to play in facilitating contacts, addressing regulatory issues, and encouraging partnerships. While acknowledging challenges related to financial transfers and banking restrictions, he said there remains significant potential for cooperation in non-sanctioned sectors.

Hassanzadeh outlined Iran’s diverse production base, noting that the country manufactures a wide range of high-quality products, including steel, bitumen, chemical products, power plant equipment, dried fruits and nuts, machine-made carpets, handicrafts, lead, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, aluminum, building stones, tiles, ceramics, and glass. He emphasized that Iranian products are produced to high standards, are competitively priced, and can meet the needs of international markets. The Iran Chamber, he said, is keen to expand trade in these goods with Indonesian partners.

He also identified areas where Indonesia could supply Iran’s market, including timber, motorcycles, fresh and frozen seafood, vegetable oils, machinery, and industrial equipment. Hassanzadeh said Iran is open to conducting trade with Indonesia through preferential trade arrangements or barter mechanisms, which could help mitigate financial and banking constraints.

For his part, Ambassador Rollyan Shah Soemirat said his mission aligns with directives from Indonesia’s president to elevate relations with Iran, particularly in trade and economic cooperation. He said he is actively working to expand ties between the Iran Chamber and Indonesia’s national and provincial chambers to identify new areas for collaboration between private enterprises.

Soemirat acknowledged that Iran and Indonesia are still far from achieving their ambitious bilateral trade target of $20 billion and stressed the need to finalize the preferential trade agreement between the two countries as soon as possible. He said Indonesia is interested in importing a variety of Iranian products, including agricultural goods, chemicals, construction materials, medical equipment, and dairy products, adding that Indonesia’s priorities in food and energy security create favorable conditions for expanded cooperation. “Iran’s Private Sector”

The ambassador also noted strong interest among Indonesian chambers of commerce and small and medium-sized enterprises in working with Iranian partners. However, he emphasized the importance of improving mutual understanding of trade regulations and financial transfer mechanisms to facilitate smoother business operations. He added that steps are underway to ease visa requirements and expand business visa issuance for Iranian nationals.

At the same meeting, Yadollah Tahernezhad, head of the Iran–Indonesia Joint Committee, called for greater cooperation to establish a direct Tehran–Jakarta flight, saying such a connection would significantly boost trade, business exchanges, and overall economic relations between the two countries.