Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira, Harare Bureau
TRADE between Zimbabwe and Indonesia has grown from US$ 60 million to US$100 million under the Second Republic anchored on tobacco exports to Jakarta.
With abundant lithium reserves in Zimbabwe, the figures are expected to jump as Indonesia has now gone full-throttle in the production of electric vehicles.
Indonesia Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dewa Juniarta Sastrawan said the premier quality of Zimbabwe’s tobacco has helped his country to produce better cigarettes.
Amb Sastrawan said this while briefing journalists soon after bidding farewell to President Mnangagwa at State House yesterday.
The diplomat, together with his counterpart from Kenya, Mrs Stella Munyi met President Mnangagwa separately as they bade him farewell after completing their tour of duties in the country.
Amb Sastrawan said several Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed in the area of health and agriculture at the Second Indonesia Africa Forum and the High-Level Forum on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships where Vice-President Kembo Mohadi represented the country in Bali last year.
He described the MOUs as important because they deepened co-operation and will go a long way in producing affordable medication through Natpharm.
“On the trade sector, this is one that I would like to highlight. When I came here in 2019, our trade volume was only US$60 million. But now, as of last year, our figures show that it is US$93 million.
“The good thing about this, is that it is more exports from Zimbabwe to Indonesia, this is happening that way because we import a lot of tobacco from Zimbabwe,” said Amb Sastrawan.
He said Zimbabwe also exports cotton to Indonesia.
“The product we import the most from Zimbabwe is tobacco. And we use the good quality of tobacco from Zimbabwe to blend our cigarettes. So, this is a very significant achievement that we have made,” he said.
There is also co-operation on cement and fertiliser production between the two countries, with Zimbabwe using Indonesian technology.
“We also would like to develop cooperation in lithium mining. We will soon be holding discussions on how we can cooperate in processing lithium. The reason why we would like to cooperate on processing lithium with Zimbabwe is because we, in Indonesia, have already started producing electric car batteries and also motorcycle batteries, we have nickel, but we don’t have lithium. So, that’s why we would like to have this cooperation,” said Amb Sastrawan.
Indonesia -Zimbabwe relations were established in 1986 and both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
On her part, Amb Munyi said she registered several achievements during her tour of duty, the most important one being the high-level reciprocal visits by President Mnangagwa to Nairobi and her principal, Kenyan leader, President William Ruto coming to Zimbabwe.
She said the fact that Zimbabwe and Kenya chaired the Joint Sadc and East African Commission to discuss conflict resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo is because of the good relations between the two countries.
“I have managed to achieve what I came here to do. Our bilateral relations with Zimbabwe are excellent. I have managed to build them through the years I have been here. I had our Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation, when I came here, the last one had been done in 1989. But during my tenure, we had the third session in 2021 and 2024. And now I am looking forward to a midterm review this year,” said Amb Munyi.
She said trade between the two countries has increased buoyed by Kenyan Airways, which increased its flight frequency between Nairobi and Harare and Nairobi to Victoria Falls.
“I have also promised His Excellency, President Mnangagwa that I will be your ambassador. I told him that I have been to Victoria Falls, I think, more than 15 to 20 times. I have also managed to go around the country, including to Great Zimbabwe, and also to Kariba, but the magnificent Victoria Falls has been a place to be. And I think I will continue visiting. I will also be your champion. I have also talked about the issue that we are there to champion the complete removal of sanctions by the West, as well as the readmission of Zimbabwe into the Commonwealth.”
Zimbabwe and Kenya are both members of Comesa and the African Union.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu