Marseille was the second city to be visited by Nasution after Grasse as part of his agenda to promote deeper economic and commercial relations with southern France.
Indonesian Consul General Asianto Sinambela noted on Sunday that Darmin had also met with Marseille Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin.
At the meeting, Nasution reiterated the significance of Gaudin's support to boost trade between Marseille and Indonesia, particularly of coffee beans.
Nasution views it as a sound opportunity for Indonesian youth to study in Marseille, particularly to develop its areas of expertise, including in perfume manufacturing and coffee processing.
Mayor Gaudin welcomed Indonesia's keenness to boost trade relations with southern France and expressed strong support to increasing direct commercial and trade relations, especially for coffee.
The mayor pointed out that Marseille has a coffee industry center, with an extensive network, such as Henry Blanc.
The Henry Blanc coffee industry imports coffee from Africa and Latin America, while coffee from Asia is imported from Vietnam and Indonesia.
Henry Blanc imports the Javanese type Arabica coffee variety from Indonesia that is the main ingredient of coffee blending in accordance with market tastes and local consumers.
Both parties remain committed to opening business contacts to the widest possible extent, especially to build a direct trade route for Indonesian coffee.
Nasution pointed to the fact that despite several Indonesian regions having good coffee products, they lagged behind in international trade and marketing relations.
Moreover, he expounded that the Indonesian government was conducting research to develop superior-quality seeds for plantations and smallholder agriculture as well as opening up international market access.
Market opportunities for Indonesian coffee products in Marseille are quite promising, taking into account its high rate of coffee consumption, coupled with the high demand for coffee from Indonesia that can be imported by industries in France.
Translator: Zeynita Gibbons/Yashinta Difa
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
