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Indonesia seeks closer ties with Kuwait after 50 years

Gulf buddies: Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar (center) is flanked by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulwahab Abdullah Al Sager (second right) and ambassadors (from left) Ahmed Amr Ahmed Moswad from Egypt, Mohamed Ghassan Shaiho from Bahrain and Ismail Shaafiq Muhsin from Iraq to cut a cake during a diplomatic reception to commemorate the Kuwaiti National Day and Liberation Day in Jakarta on Thursday evening

Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, February 23, 2019

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Indonesia seeks closer ties with Kuwait after 50 years

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ulf buddies: Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar (center) is flanked by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulwahab Abdullah Al Sager (second right) and ambassadors (from left) Ahmed Amr Ahmed Moswad from Egypt, Mohamed Ghassan Shaiho from Bahrain and Ismail Shaafiq Muhsin from Iraq to cut a cake during a diplomatic reception to commemorate the Kuwaiti National Day and Liberation Day in Jakarta on Thursday evening.(JP/Iqbal Yuwansyah)

Kuwait has plenty of untapped opportunities in Indonesia beyond just selling oil and gas, according to Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar on Thursday evening.

He explained that Kuwait could find new opportunities in Indonesia in general trade and the tourism sector and by further bolstering the already strong political ties.

“Indonesia is one of the main importing countries of Kuwait’s oil. We realize that the value does not yet reflect our existing potential,” he said in a prepared statement.

“There is indeed still ample room for more enhanced trade exchange. In this regard, we believe that our various export-quality products could meet the needs of Kuwait’s market: palm oil, furniture, spare parts, building materials, etc.”

The deputy minister also called on Kuwaiti businesspeople to look beyond oil-and-gas investments in Indonesia.

“We also attach a great importance on [business-to-business] cooperation between travel agents and tour operators in the two countries to facilitate more visits by Kuwaiti tourists to Indonesia,” he said.

Indonesian imports from Kuwait were worth US$348.76 million in 2017 while Kuwait imported only $193.61 million-worth from Indonesia, according to the Trade Map website of the International Trade Center.

Arcandra was speaking at a diplomatic reception held to celebrate Kuwait’s 58th National Day and 28th Liberation Day.

The National Day commemorations originated with the coronation of Emir Sheikh Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah on Feb. 25, 1950, when Kuwait was still a British protectorate. Kuwait attained full independence on June 19, 1961.

Liberation Day is celebrated every Feb. 26 to commemorate Kuwait’s liberation from Iraqi occupation by the United States-led coalition forces in the first Gulf War.

Arcandra stated that Indonesia and Kuwait enjoyed very close and special relations that can be traced back a long time before both nations won independence.

He said the two countries could boast of a growing and well-developed multifaceted relationship in various fields, as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2018.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulwahab Abdullah Al Sager highlighted his country’s humanitarian diplomacy in Indonesia, represented by assistance worth some $250 million of assistance, in addition to the more than $2 billion Kuwait has invested in Indonesia’s oil and gas sector.

Al Sager added that currently a delegation from an orphanage in Kersamanah, Garut, West Java, which has received a substantial amount of aid from Kuwait since 1989, was now visiting Kuwait and on Wednesday met with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al Jabar Al Sabah.

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