"Indonesia and Egypt have the opportunity to further step up their trade relations. The two countries have been maintaining diplomatic ties for a long time, which serve as a potent foundation for intensified trade cooperation," Hasan noted in his office's statement here on Wednesday.
During a meeting with Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir Saleh in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday (June 11), Hasan also echoed Indonesia's readiness to host the Indonesia-Egypt Joint Trade Committee meeting scheduled for July in Bali.
He reiterated that Egypt is an important non-traditional trading partner in Africa for Indonesia.
In that context, the minister stated that Indonesia could help Egypt penetrate the ASEAN market while the African country could facilitate Indonesian products to reach markets not only in Africa but also in Europe and the Middle East.
During the January-April 2024 period, the total value of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Egypt was recorded at US$474 million. Meanwhile, last year's total value stood at US$1.51 billion, with Indonesia experiencing a surplus of over US$1 billion.
During the bilateral meeting, the two trade ministers also drew attention to the dire humanitarian crisis currently befalling Palestinians in the Gaza Strip caused by Israeli occupation forces' aggression.
Minister Saleh commended Indonesia for its persistent role and contribution to humanitarian actions in Palestine.
He also affirmed that Egypt and Indonesia are on the same page about the need for member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to invest even greater efforts to help the Palestinian people.
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Translator: Maria C, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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