The Danish government is looking to bolster its presence in Asia through an expedition to Indonesia and Singapore later on this month.
PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen will lead the official visit, which initially stops in Indonesia on November 27-29, as part of a Danish business delegation that includes big hitters such as Novo Nordisk, Vestas, Grundfos, Novozymes and Terma.
It will be the first time that a Danish PM has visited the world’s fourth-most populous country in the world and Rasmussen will take the opportunity to meet with president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo to discuss trade, business, extremism and Indonesia’s potential role in the new Danish-led P4G initiative.
“Indonesia is a country on the move, and by 2030 it will be among the biggest economies in the world. Its growth rates are impressive and the country is a key player in Asia,” said Rasmussen.
“But growth has a dark side and the country is experiencing great issues such as the pollution of plastic in its seas. That impacts ecosystems, animal lives, tourism and the fishing industry, and it is here Denmark can make a difference.”
READ MORE: Danish ministerial visits to Indonesia and Vietnam
Singapore sling
Rasmussen is then scheduled to fly on to Singapore from November 29-30 to meet with its president Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong.
The visit will be used to discuss trade, sustainable growth and the promotion of the maritime industry, as well as gaining inspiration for Denmark’s new ‘disruption committee’ think-tank.
“Singapore has transformed itself from a poor country into an economical and technological key player. I look forward to hearing about how Singapore handles the challenges and opportunities that the fourth industrial revolution creates in terms of the labour market of the future,” said Rasmussen.
