Kupang – The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin NTT) has expressed its full commitment to supporting the Kupang City Government in realizing a Friendship City partnership with Darwin City, Australia.

The collaboration is expected to serve as a gateway for strengthening economic, educational, tourism, sports, and investment ties between the two regions.

The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting between Kadin NTT officials and Kupang Deputy Mayor Serena Francis at the Deputy Mayor’s Office in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday (June 10, 2026).

Kadin NTT Chairman Bobby Lianto emphasized that the organization is ready to assist the Kupang City Government throughout the cooperation process.

He noted that Kadin NTT has long initiated relations between Kupang and Darwin through intensive communication with the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in Darwin and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Northern Territory.

In addition to supporting the local government, Bobby revealed that Kadin NTT plans to bring a number of business representatives from East Nusa Tenggara to Darwin in order to explore broader investment and trade opportunities.

According to him, communication with various stakeholders in Darwin has progressed positively, and several forms of cooperation have already been realized, including collaborations with the Alana Group, which has conducted a number of activities in Kupang City.

“Kadin NTT believes that the Friendship City partnership has significant potential to be developed across various strategic sectors, ranging from education, trade, and tourism to sports and human resource development,” Bobby said.

In the field of education, Bobby added, opportunities for cooperation include student exchange programs, partnerships between educational institutions, and efforts to enhance the capacity of young people through international collaboration.

“In fact, several schools in Kupang and Australia have already begun conducting joint online learning activities through Zoom as an initial step toward strengthening connections between the younger generations of both cities,” Bobby explained.

Meanwhile, Kupang Deputy Mayor Serena Francis stated that the meeting discussed plans for a delegation from the Kupang City Government to visit Darwin next July as a follow-up to an invitation from the Darwin City Government for the signing of an intercity cooperation agreement.

Serena explained that the process leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) must go through various administrative stages, including the submission of a Letter of Intent (LoI) as the initial step in establishing the partnership.

“All cooperation documents involving foreign governments must comply with applicable regulations and obtain approval from Indonesia’s Ministry of Home Affairs in accordance with established procedures,” she said.

Through the Friendship City partnership between Kupang and Darwin, the Kupang City Government and Kadin NTT hope to further strengthen bilateral relations at the regional level and create new opportunities that will positively contribute to economic growth, education, tourism, and community welfare in both regions.

Also attending the meeting were Coordinating Vice Chairman for Economic Affairs of Kadin NTT Christopher Samara, Vice Chairman for Associations Randy Fransisco, and Executive Director of Kadin NTT Mercy Siubelan.