Jakarta: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday pledged to foster "a more robust and mutually beneficial trade partnership" with Indonesia during his visit to the country. Lula's remarks came during a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, marking his arrival in Indonesia on Wednesday for trade talks.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lula emphasized Indonesia's strategic importance to Brazil in solidifying the position of Global South countries. During the meeting at Jakarta's Merdeka Palace, he highlighted the need to strengthen and renew the 17-year strategic partnership between the two nations.

Lula expressed his enthusiasm about returning to Indonesia after 17 years and reflected on the positive development of relations since the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2008. He voiced his hopes of renewing the partnership and exploring agreements not only in bilateral trade but also in investment in emerging sectors like artificial intelligence and data centers, aiming to deepen collaboration in scientific and technological innovation.

Emphasizing the significance of educational cooperation, Lula called for policies supporting balanced trade between Brazil and Indonesia. Official data indicates that bilateral trade between the countries reached nearly $4.4 billion from January to August this year, with diplomatic ties dating back to 1953.

Following his departure from Indonesia on Friday, Lula plans to travel to Malaysia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur. His visit to Indonesia comes three months after Prabowo's official trip to Brazil.