The UK and Indonesia have established a long-term Strategic Partnership running to 2045. Announced on 21 January 2026 by Prime Minister Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP and President H.E. Prabowo Subianto, the agreement groups cooperation into four areas: Economic Growth; Climate, Energy and Nature; Defence and Security; and People and Society. The Prime Minister’s Office published the text and confirmed the scope. (gov.uk)
Governance is designed to be sustained and high level. The document provides for regular contact between leaders to set direction, supported by routine engagement between foreign ministers. Specific strands of work will be overseen by the relevant ministers or senior officials from both sides. (gov.uk)
On Economic Growth, a new Economic Growth Partnership will be led by the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs. Early priorities include easing barriers to trade through greater regulatory transparency and trade facilitation, expanding services trade via a Financial Services Policy Working Group, and recognising the role of artificial intelligence in services. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The partners also commit to deeper two‑way investment, with contributions from the Indonesian Investment Authority, British International Investment, the UK Office for Investment and UK Export Finance, alongside cooperation on investment screening. The annex notes UK support for Indonesia’s application to join the OECD, including technical work on anti‑bribery alignment, and records Indonesia’s CPTPP application and the 21 November 2025 ministerial statement in Melbourne. Both sides reaffirm support for a WTO‑based trading system and reform. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
On climate policy, both countries aim to keep 1.5°C within reach with emissions peaking by 2030. The UK remains committed to net zero by 2050 and Indonesia targets 2060 or sooner, and the annex envisages Indonesia developing an independent climate advisory body inspired by the UK’s Climate Change Committee. Cooperation extends to adaptation, early‑warning systems and ongoing scientific collaboration between the Met Office and Indonesia’s BMKG through WCSSP Southeast Asia. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Energy cooperation centres on implementation. The partners will work through Indonesia’s Energy Transition and Green Economy Taskforce and the Just Energy Transition Partnership, including a UK billion‑dollar guarantee to mobilise projects. Work via the Energy Transition Council will support renewable deployment, grid integration and policy. Technical dialogue will examine the governance of PLN; collaboration will explore the ASEAN power grid, carbon capture and storage, and measures to double energy efficiency, with Indonesia aiming for an 87% renewable mix by 2060. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Nature and finance measures include a UK‑Indonesia Carbon Markets Partnership to help Indonesia develop a carbon pricing framework and a voluntary carbon market, plus exploration of high‑integrity biodiversity credits. A Sustainable Finance Working Group will operate alongside support for a National Committee for Sustainable Finance. Forestry commitments highlight Indonesia’s SVLK timber assurance system and the UK‑Indonesia FLEGT VPA, a new Multistakeholder Forestry Partnership Phase 5, and backing for Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target. Oceans cooperation includes a Blue Planet Fund Country Plan and work on a Global Plastics Treaty. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Infrastructure and transport are flagged for practical delivery. The MELAJU sustainable infrastructure partnership will channel cooperation on green public transport, transit‑oriented development, waste management and flood resilience. Transport decarbonisation, green building standards and support for the global shift to zero‑emission vehicles are identified as shared priorities. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Defence and security cooperation will be stepped up. A Foreign‑Defence ‘2+2’ mechanism is envisaged, alongside a strengthened Indonesia‑UK Joint Defence Cooperation Dialogue. The partners plan a Defence‑to‑Defence Security Arrangement to enable classified information‑sharing, expanded maritime activity including coordinated patrols against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, options to use Indonesian shipyards for maintenance of UK vessels, and broader training. Regional commitments reference UNCLOS, a 2026 Maritime Legal Dialogue, and support for a substantive South China Sea code of conduct. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
Home‑affairs and digital cooperation round out the package. An MoU on Police, Counter‑Terrorism and Transnational Crime underpins law‑enforcement collaboration, with ongoing work through the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation and a further MoU between BNPT and the UK Home Office. Cyber security cooperation will support Indonesia’s National Cyber Security Strategy. On education, 2025 saw the first UK university campuses in Indonesia, with plans to expand transnational provision, continued LPDP scholarships and Chevening opportunities, and training for up to 300,000 English teachers. A January 2025 MoU on Digital Cooperation frames joint work on AI and semiconductors. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
For departments, agencies, universities and firms, 2026 activity will focus on the standing working groups named in the annex, including the Economic Growth Partnership, Sustainable Finance and climate bodies, defence dialogues and MELAJU. The UK Government has published the annex as an 18‑page policy paper and PDF on GOV.UK setting out these actions and contacts. (gov.uk)