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Indonesia strengthens trade links with Tunisia
Why should we bother about Asia and Africa? Asia and Africa account for 38 percent of the world’s GDP.
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View from Byrsa hill showing ancient remains of Carthage and picturesque landscape of Tunis, Tunisia. (Shutterstock/File)
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part from expanding in Asia, Indonesia has started to eye Africa as a market for its exports, one of the main drivers of the county’s economy. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has intensified Indonesia’s relations with Africa.
Why should we bother about Asia and Africa? Well, Asia and Africa account for 38 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), 76 percent of the world’s population, 44 percent of the world’s exports, 41 percent of the world’s imports and 35 percent of world’s foreign direct investment.
To cement Indonesia’s serious efforts to expand its trade with Africa, on June 25, Indonesia signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Tunisia in Tunis. Indonesia and Tunisia share many values and interests in common dating back to Indonesia’s support for Tunisia’s Independence. In 1960, Indonesia opened its embassy in Tunisia, and in 1987 Tunisia opened its diplomatic mission in Jakarta. Relations have strengthened with frequent high-level visits by politicians and diplomats.
These relations have been strengthened by the participation of the two governments in multilateral platforms such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Nonaligned Movement. Indonesia and Tunisia have also expressed their support for one another in global fora: the United Nations Industrial Development organization, the International Maritime Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Inter-governmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport.
