Indonesia, Iran Partner for Halal Assurance

In a significant stride towards enhancing the assurance of halal products, the governments of Indonesia and the Islamic Republic of Iran have recently entered into a collaborative agreement. This alliance, formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), lays the foundation for bilateral cooperation in the realm of halal product assurance.

The signatories of this MoU included two prominent figures – Zainut Tauhid Sa’adi, the Indonesian Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, and Mahdi Safari, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy.

Expressing his elation over this development, Sa’adi stated, “I extend a heartfelt welcome to this MoU on halal product assurance cooperation between our two nations on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs.” This notable event occurred amidst an official visit by Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was received by the Indonesian President Joko Widodo, fondly known as Jokowi, at the prestigious Bogor Palace.

Sa’adi highlighted the commitment of his ministry towards bolstering global cooperation in the halal product industry, in line with Indonesia’s aspirations to become the world’s leading producer of halal products. Achieving this ambitious goal would require a concerted effort to ensure product guarantee synergy among all global stakeholders, he added.

Optimistic about the benefits of this MoU, Sa’adi said, “We envision this MoU fostering the necessary synergy, enabling both Indonesia and Iran to emerge as significant contributors to the global halal product industry and market.” He also expressed hope that this cooperative endeavor would boost trade transactions for halal products, thus bringing about economic advantages and reinforcing prosperity for both nations.

In the same vein, Muhammad Aqil Irham, the head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) in Indonesia, shared that Iran is the sixth country to sign an MoU on halal product assurance with Indonesia. The list of countries having previously signed similar agreements includes Chile, Argentina, Hungary, Belarus, and Turkey.

Irham further added, “In the wake of this government-to-government MoU, we plan to expedite the discussion of a Mutual Recognition Agreement or MRA between BPJPH and halal institutions in Iran. This would establish mutual acceptance of BPJPH’s halal certificates and halal institutions in Iran on a reciprocal basis.” This statement suggests a proactive approach toward actualizing the terms of the MoU, thereby strengthening the halal product assurance framework.