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Indonesia to host infrastructure dialogue with Africa
Indonesia is pushing for more trade with the African continent in an effort to expand its exports and investments to a region previously considered a non-traditional market.
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Exploring partnerships: Vice President Jusuf Kalla (center), together with Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan (ninth right), Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (eighth left) and Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita (sixth left), pose for a picture with heads of Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) delegations after the opening ceremony of the conference in Nusa Dua, Bali, on April 10, 2018. (Antara/Nyoman Budhiana)
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ndonesia is set to hold the Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue (IAID) next month to follow up on its newfound interest in Africa and to make its presence on the continent felt by expanding its trade and investment portfolio.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed the preparations for the event with representatives of African countries, businesses and representatives of Indonesian state-owned enterprises on Wednesday.
“We hope the cooperation will continue to grow in the future so that Indonesia can play a better role that is mutually beneficial between Indonesia and African countries,” Luhut told reporters after the meeting.
Indonesia has for the past year been pushing for more trade with the African continent, in an effort to expand its relationship with Africa beyond the political realm and increase its exports and investments to a region previously considered a non-traditional market.
It has placed an emphasis on manufacturing, infrastructure and the energy and mineral resources industries, which in turn is expected to provide more jobs for local residents.
"Now that we have started to run a supply chain for industries in Morowali [in Central Sulawesi] and Weda Bay [in North Maluku], I think the market that we can potentially have in Africa is quite large," he said with regard to the 1.3 billion people that reside on the continent.
Indonesia could explore more avenues of mutually beneficial cooperation, Luhut said, noting for example the possibility of coupling Indonesia’s nickel ore production with African nations that produce cobalt to produce lithium batteries.
