"We discussed opportunities for cooperation between South Sulawesi and Belgium, one of which is development of the Makassar New Port (MNP), which made the Belgian Ambassador very interested," Patonangi stated here on Wednesday.
He said Ambassador Felix expected that once the MNP becomes fully operational, it can be connected directly to the Port of Antwerp, Bruges, Belgium.
The Port of Antwerp is the second-largest in the European Union, so if the cooperation were to be realized, then the volume of South Sulawesi's trade exports, especially to Belgium, would increase.
"As directed by the governor to develop an international route from MNP to Antwerp, we can increase our export volume," he stated.
So far, South Sulawesi and Belgium have established cooperation for the exports of coffee beans, cocoa, seafood, processed wood, and several other commodities.
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Patonangi revealed that cooperation in technology in the cattle sector will be established.
"The program is to use their technology to mate local cattle and Belgian cattle, so that our cows will have a bigger posture or have higher productivity," he explained.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Felix drew attention to numerous opportunities for cooperation between South Sulawesi and Belgium.
Felix noted that since his arrival in Makassar City, the province's capital on Sunday (May 28), he had visited several places for pursuing potential cooperation, such as the MNP, a university, and the governor's office. He had also met with several businessmen.
He said several opportunities for cooperation can be increased by looking at the potential of commodities in South Sulawesi, such as cocoa, coffee beans, fisheries, and marble.
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Translator: Abdul K, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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