"Relations between people, business communities, and tourists are crucial. Therefore, we hope that the Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa can support efforts to facilitate the relations between people, business communities, and others," Tudiono noted in his office press release on Thursday.
On February 4, Tudiono and the ambassadors and heads of representatives of ASEAN countries that are members of the ASEAN Pretoria Committee (APC) met with the Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa, Angela Thokozile Didiza, in Cape Town.
The purpose of the meeting was to further bolster relations and cooperation between South Africa and ASEAN member countries.
On that occasion, Consul General Tudiono noted that the relations between Indonesia and South Africa had been elevated to a strategic partnership since 2008.
Both countries have maintained sound relations in various multilateral forums, such as the G20, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and, recently, the BRICS.
Historically, the socio-cultural relations between the two countries have also been established since 1694, marked by the arrival of Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari from Gowa, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, who was exiled by the colonial government due to his resistance to the colonizers.
He stated that the Indonesian diaspora, as part of the Cape Malays in Cape Town, consisted of over 330 thousand people.
Cape Town is also a stopover for Indonesian crew members working on various foreign ships. Two to three thousand Indonesian crew members stop in Cape Town annually.
"The inter-parliamentary relations are also very good. Many members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) visited Cape Town. In March 2024, the Deputy Head of the Legislative Body of DPR paid a visit," he remarked.
In this regard, he conveyed his aspiration for a more streamlined process for people-to-people visits between the two countries, with the goal of increasing the number of visitors.
Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa Angela Thokozile Didiza also concurred on the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary relations and cooperation.
She also encouraged efforts to facilitate relations between people and business communities and to boost the number of tourist arrivals.
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Translator: Katriana, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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