Indonesia and Zanzibar Cooperate to Strengthen Blue Economy

Indonesian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Pahala Mansyuri opened the Zanzibar-Indonesia Investment Forum in Bali in the beginning of September 2024.

IDXChannel - Indonesian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Pahala Mansyuri  opened the Zanzibar-Indonesia Investment Forum in Bali in the beginning of September 2024.

The ceremony, which was held on the sidelines of the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF), was also attended by Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, accompanied by as well as more than 100 business people and stakeholders from Indonesia, Zanzibar, and Tanzania.

Pahala said that the historical closeness between Indonesia and Africa, which has been established since the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference, is the foundation for solidarity and cooperation between developing countries. 

Pahala also saw the great potential shared by Indonesia and the African region, with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of around USD4.4 trillion and abundant natural resources.

"With this great potential, we must strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors, especially the blue economy which is very relevant for island countries like Indonesia and Zanzibar," said Pahala in a media release.

On this occasion, Pahala also explained the Blue Economy Framework that has been developed by Indonesia, which is able to improve the management of marine resources in a sustainable manner and improve the welfare of the community. 

The potential for cooperation between Indonesia and Zanzibar exists in the blue economy sector, including tourism and hospitality, capture fisheries and aquaculture, port infrastructure development, seaweed processing, and the oil and gas sector.

"The blue economy is a highly potential sector for us to develop together. This is a golden opportunity for businesses to strengthen their presence in the East African market and build a more sustainable future," said Pahala.

Meanwhile, President Mwinyi said Zanzibar and Indonesia have many similarities as archipelagic countries with a strong commitment to the development of the maritime sector and the preservation of the marine environment.

"We invite business people and investors from Indonesia to actively participate in developing priority economic sectors in Zanzibar," said President Mwinyi.

Zanzibar is a part of Tanzania located off the coast of East Africa.  As a semi-autonomous region, Zanzibar maintains political union with Tanzania but has its own parliament and president. (Wahyu Dwi Anggoro)