African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development Raila Odinga today met Indonesia President Joko Widodo during the Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue in Bali.
Earlier, Raila held talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on “increased and improved collaboration between Africa and Indonesia in various sectors”.
Present during the meeting were the host nation’s Ambassadors to Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa.
The Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue is a platform for the business community, government officials and other stakeholders from Indonesia and Africa aimed at ensuring collaboration in the infrastructure sector. The forum will be held between August 20-21.
The first forum was first held on April 10 – 11, 2018 in Bali.
Raila addressed the opening session of the conference, where he gave a status report of Africa’s infrastructure development and plans.
Indonesia is joining other countries such as China, Japa, the US and South Korea in financing African infrastructure development.
“This dialogue, in turn will provide a multiplier effect on the economy of both Indonesia and African countries,” Marsudi told journalists at a joint breakfast meeting with 14 journalists from Africa and Pacific countries in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in July.
Retno also said the dialogue is also expected to achieve other concrete economic cooperation, such as strengthening market access through preferential trade agreements, negotiations with several African countries and national financing schemes.
