Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, held bilateral meetings with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilkhom Utkurovich Khaydarov, and Thailand's Director of the Creative Economy Agency, Cakkrit Pichyangkul. These discussions took place during the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 2 October 2024. In his meeting with Uzbekistan, Sandiaga highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2023 between Indonesia and Uzbekistan's Art and Culture Development Foundation, focusing on creative economy collaboration. He expressed hopes for stronger cooperation, particularly in enhancing human resources, data exchange, and exhibitions in the creative economy sector.
In a separate meeting, Sandiaga discussed potential collaboration with Thailand's creative economy sector. Although there is no formal MoU between the two countries, he emphasized the ongoing informal partnerships and diplomatic relations, especially under ASEAN initiatives. Sandiaga believes that working with both Uzbekistan and Thailand will benefit all parties, citing Indonesia's contribution to the global creative economy, which accounts for 3.1% of global GDP and 6.2% of global employment. By 2030, these figures are projected to grow to 10% of GDP and 40% of global employment. He stressed the significant role of the creative economy in the global landscape and expressed optimism for future partnerships.
