TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
New Indonesian envoy prioritizes economic diplomacy with South Africa
Change Size
Beautiful day in Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he newly inaugurated Indonesian ambassador to South Africa, Kingdom of Lesotho, Kingdom of Swaziland and Botswana Republic, Salman al-Farisi, says economic diplomacy will be at the top of his agenda during his diplomatic mission in the continent.
Salman, a career diplomat, was sworn in before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during a ceremony at the State Palace on Wednesday, marking the beginning of his official duty as a political appointee.
Speaking after his inauguration, Salman said strengthening economic diplomacy was particularly important to boost the existing strategic partnership between Indonesia and African countries.
"South Africa is among countries that has established a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia. Only a few countries have such a partnership [with us]," Salman said on Wednesday.
"There is practically no problem with [Indonesia-South Africa] cooperation in the political, social and cultural scope [...] our challenge today is strengthening our economic cooperation," he went on to say.
Salman explained that Indonesia dominated 30 percent of the palm oil market in South Africa, the highest after Malaysia. Besides, there was also potential to improve cooperation between the two countries in the pharmaceutical industry, he said.
Developing countries in Africa are in need of their pharmaceutical industry to grow, including in the development of vaccines. Indonesia has advanced in the vaccine industry and thus the country wanted to expand the pharmaceutical market not only in South Africa but other African countries as well, Salman said. (ahw)
