Italy and Indonesia Strengthen Strategic Ties in Trade and Defense

“National prosperity relies on trade openness rather than protectionism.”

Speaking at the Indonesian Embassy in Rome for the country’s National Day celebrations, Deputy Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Valentino Valentini outlined a deep, expanding partnership across industrial manufacturing, defense, and the energy transition between Italy and Indonesia.

The bilateral cooperation is anchored by open markets, complementary industrial strengths, and deep historical ties. Valentini recalled that Italy’s exports surpassed €640 billion in 2025, emphasizing that trade and open ports—legacy principles dating back to Marco Polo and the Venetian Republic—remain foundational to the Italian economy. Beyond official treaties, he highlighted cultural and people-to-people bridges, pointing to sports ties such as Indonesian ownership of Como by the Hartono family, alongside historic commercial connections like Indonesian robusta coffee serving as the backbone of Italian espresso.

Naval Defense and Strategic Missions Along the Rome-Jakarta Axis

Defense cooperation has emerged as a cornerstone of the partnership, underscored by major hardware acquisitions and operational alignment. Indonesian Ambassador to Italy Junimart Girsang highlighted major defense milestones, including naval vessels built by Fincantieri for the Indonesian Navy and the acquisition of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, which is slated to be renamed Kri Sriwijaya for humanitarian and non-combat missions. Beyond hardware, collaboration includes long-term agreements for maintenance, spare parts, and training.

Operational ties extend directly into international peacekeeping. Valentini noted that Italian and Indonesian soldiers serve together in United Nations missions, sharing operational risks and mutual trust forged under demanding conditions.

Industrial Synergy and Critical Raw Materials in the Green Transition

The two nations are aligning their complementary assets to accelerate the green transition and economic exchange, supported by the EU-Indonesia trade agreement concluded in September 2025. While Italy imports roughly three-quarters of its energy and brings advanced engineering, machinery, electricity grids, and storage systems, Indonesia boasts rich reserves of critical raw materials like nickel alongside ambitious plans to develop 100 gigawatts of solar capacity in three years.

Ambassador Girsang pointed to high-level institutional milestones—including Undersecretary Maria Tripodi’s visit to Jakarta and the fourth Indonesia-Italy Bilateral Consultation Forum—as vital drivers for bilateral investment and food security collaboration through Rome-based UN agencies.