Executive Director on official visit to Indonesia

JAKARTA – Dr Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), was in Jakarta today for high-level talks with government and industry leaders to discuss IEA-Indonesia relations and the agency's extensive substantive work in the country.

Dr Birol met with HE Mr. Ignatius Jonan, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, to discuss the IEA’s collaboration with Indonesia on a range of issues from energy security and policy analysis on the power sector, to technical assistance and capacity building on renewables, energy efficiency and data and statistics.

Minister Jonan thanked Dr Birol for the IEA’s valuable contributions to enhanced energy policy in Indonesia, while Dr Birol reaffirmed the IEA’s strong commitment to Indonesia as a major player in global energy markets and a key member of the IEA Family. Dr Birol and Minister Jonan also discussed new areas of potential collaboration, including energy sector investment and electric vehicles.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, hosted Dr. Birol in an Executive Address to a large and diverse audience of senior policymakers, industry leaders,think tanks, representatives from embassies and media. Dr Birol’s remarks on global energy prospects and their implications for Indonesia focused on the IEA’s analysis of key energy trends, and how Southeast Asia and Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, fit in the global picture.

Dr Birol also attended a lunch hosted by Denmark’s Ambassador to Indonesia, where he was joined by Ambassadors from IEA Member Countries. Ambassadors welcomed the IEA’s engagement and work in Indonesia under the agency's “open doors” policy, and sought Dr Birol’s views on key energy issues globally and relating to Southeast Asia.

Lastly, Dr Birol provided the closing address for the first day of the IEA’s Energy Efficiency Training Week for Southeast Asia, taking place in Jakarta from 16-20 July, co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The Training Week, with six thematic ‘tracks,’ 160 hours of training time and 200 participants, represents the IEA’s largest-ever capacity building event outside of Paris.

The training week brings together energy efficiency professionals from government institutions and supporting organisations across Southeast Asia. The event aims to build capacity among policy makers, and to equip them with greater knowledge and skills on developing energy efficiency initiatives in their respective countries. The participants will become part of the international energy efficiency community with an extensive support network as they progress through their careers.