Indonesia and Namibia are seeking to strengthen economic and cultural cooperation as the two countries celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations.

Namibian Ambassador to Indonesia Anne Namakau Mutelo highlighted opportunities to boost cooperation across numerous areas, including agriculture, trade, investment and tourism, as well as cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The African nation is also preparing for a follow-up working group meeting on agriculture with Indonesia that is set to take place in Jakarta in July, after an initial meeting was held in Namibia last year, Mutelo said.

“Namibia is also open for business in the infrastructure and development, housing, food security, agriculture and health sectors,” she said at the celebrations in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The ambassador was speaking during a dinner gala to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Namibia’s independence, as well as commemorating the country’s quarter-century bilateral relations with Indonesia.

Namibia, which has a population of 2.4 million, gained independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990.

Diplomatic relations with Indonesia were marked with the establishment of an embassy in Windhoek two years later.

The relationship, however, had begun earlier than that, Mutelo noted, referring to the Asian-African Conference in 1955 initiated by Indonesia, which promoted the decolonization of Asian and African nations.

Mutelo handed her credentials to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in October. She is based at the foreign mission headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where she is also Namibia’s high commissioner to Malaysia.

Additionally, Mutelo is the envoy to the Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islands and Fiji.

An Honorary Consulate was established in Jakarta in 2015. Headed by honorary consul YW Junardy, the office is located at the Menara Rajawali building in South Jakarta.

The Indonesian mission in the Namibian capital, meanwhile, is currently led by Ambassador Eddy Basuki, who also oversees the neighboring Angola.  

Indonesia has made it a foreign policy priority to intensify efforts to explore untapped markets in Africa, with foreign tours expected to take place throughout the year, focusing on boosting trade and economic ties with the region.

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartanto, who attended the event, noted the ups and downs of trade between the two countries and called for strengthened cooperation beyond currently established areas, such as agriculture.

“As Namibia also has experience in the mining and tourism industries, there is lots of potential for us to enrich our bilateral relations,” Airlangga said.

Trade between Indonesian and Namibia is still relatively low, with a value last year of US$4 million, a drop from $9.2 million the previous year.

Indonesia imported an estimated $3.3 million of goods from the African country in 2016, mostly zinc. Indonesian exports stood at approximately $763,000, most of which consisted of fisheries products.

Among past efforts to boost trade, the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek last year participated in the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair. The event promoted beauty and health products made in Indonesia, among other things.

Namibia is also considered a gateway to trade with countries in the southern African region, such as Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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