Ambassador of Indonesia to Tunisia Zuhairi Al-Masrawy :
-Talks underway to import and invest in Tunisian phosphate; Indonesia’s annual needs estimated at 3.5 million tonnes
– Establishing companies in Indonesia to import dates, olive oil and harissa
-Setting up a travel agency to promote the Tunisian destination
Indonesia’s ambassador to Tunisia, Zuhairi Al-Masrawy, said that talks are underway between Jakarta and Tunisia to import and invest in Tunisian phosphate. He noted that his country’s annual needs for this material are estimated at 3.2 million tonnes over the next five years in relation to food security sovereignty.
During the reception organised by the embassy on Monday evening in the Begre du Lac in Tunis to mark the 79th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia’s independence, Al-Masrawy recalled the agreement on rainmaking (converting clouds into rain) that was signed between Tunisia and Indonesia during the World Water Forum held in May in Bali.
In his speech on the occasion, the Ambassador reviewed the long-standing relations and close co-operation between Indonesia and Tunisia, dating back to 1952, with the opening of Tunisia’s office in Jakarta and its support for the country’s independence before the official announcement in 1960 of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He stressed that this cooperation continues to strengthen and diversify, as today (2024), for example, Tunisia has become the first exporter of dates to Indonesia, where it was encouraged to increase the volume of exports from 8,000 to 20,000 tonnes after the establishment of a Tunisian date company in Jakarta.
Companies have also been set up to directly supply Tunisian oil and a company that supplies harissa, as well as a travel agency to encourage Indonesian tourists to visit Tunisia.
The Indonesian ambassador noted that this movement indicates that opportunities and hopes are available to further develop trade exchange between the two countries, especially after the signing of the preferential trade agreement between the two countries.
In this context, he pointed to encouraging the export of Tunisian textiles to the Indonesian market, which is one of the largest markets along with neighbouring markets in Southeast Asia, explaining that the Indonesian Business Forum was organised in Sousse last September, which was an opportunity to promote cooperation in the field of digital economy and digital experiences, especially since Indonesia has experience and expertise in the field of creating job opportunities for youth, crafts and the family economy.
Ambassador Zahiri Masrawi spoke about cooperation in the field of higher education, where the number of Indonesian students in Tunisian universities currently stands at 300 students, and his country’s government is opening the way for Tunisian students to study, especially in the disciplines of technology, engineering, medicine and tourism.
Cooperation is being urged in the field of academic research, as well as the opening of departments in Tunisian universities to teach the Indonesian language.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Dhouha Talik – English: NejiMed)
