TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan hopes that Indonesia can take advantage from the Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue (IAID) to expand product exports to the African continent. The IAID will be held in Bali on August 20-21, 2019.

“Africa's 1.3 billon population is a promising market for Indonesia's export commodities," Luhut said in on July 24, during the 'Afternoon Tea Indonesia Africa Infrastructure Dialogue 2019' discussion held at the Foreign Affairs Ministry building

According to Luhut, the government needs to discuss concrete issues in the dialogue next month, in hopes that Indonesia can obtain a wider export market.

Luhut said he would visit Africa at the end of September or early October 2019, as a follow-up to the dialogues in Bali. One of his visits would be to survey the implementation of the cooperation between rolling stock manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (PT INKA) and companies in Africa.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi estimated that around 700 participants would attend the IAID in Bali next month.

"In addition to participants from Indonesia, there will be delegates from 53 countries in Africa, comprising of government officials and business practitioners," she said.

IMAM HAMDI