Indonesia, Ethiopia Agree To Enhance Bilateral Relations

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesia and Ethiopia have agreed to boost bilateral relations following a meeting between the deputy foreign ministers of the two countries on the occasion of the 60th Asia-Africa Commemoration here on Monday.

"The potential for cooperation especially in the field of economy and trade between the two countries is quite huge, and we must take advantage of it," Indonesia's Deputy Foreign Minister A.M. Fathir stated at the Jakarta Convention Center.

Ethiopia, the biggest country in Africa with a population of around 100 million, can become Indonesia's strategic partner in Africa, he noted.  He remarked that the value of trade between the two countries reached US$70 million and "according to Ethiopia, it even reached US$300 million."

Ethiopia's Deputy Foreign Minister Berhane Gebre-Christon hailed the cooperation with Indonesia stating that "the cooperation between Indonesia and Ethiopia, which has been established for the past six decades, has continued to grow from year to year."

Gebre-Christos stated that Ethiopia is optimistic that the sound relations with Indonesia in the field of politics will have a positive impact on trade and economic relations.

"We wish to transform the long-existing political relations into economic and trade relations, including in the aviation sector that we are now exploring," he said.

He said that besides increasing cooperating with the Indonesian government, Ethiopia has also initiated cooperation with private parties from Indonesia.

"We will do our best for increasing cooperation between the two countries," he emphasized.

Based on the Indonesian foreign ministry's official website, Indonesia's relations with Ethiopia were initiated when Ethiopia attended the first Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java, in 1955 and in 1964, when Indonesia officially opened its embassy in Addis Ababa.

According to the foreign ministry, bilateral trade between the two countries has continued to increase, with its total value in 2010 reaching US$94.1 million as per data released by the Ethiopian Custom Authority. In 2011, it increased to US$106.8 million; in 2012, to US$318.3 million; and in 2013, to US$349.1 million.

Several agreements have been inked between the two countries, including economic and technical agreements, rubber development agreement, and an agreement between the two countries' news agencies. In January 2015, the two countries' foreign ministers signed a memorandum of understanding in Addis Ababa on the Bilateral Consultation Forum.

Apart from discussing cooperation, during the course of the meeting, the Indonesian and Ethiopian deputy foreign ministers also discussed various other topics including efforts to increase South-South cooperation, their role in the international forum, and issues relating to the interests of the two countries. (WDY)