Indonesia aims to increase cooperation with Morocco amid growing economic ties between the two countries, a minister said on Saturday.
Economic ties with Morocco are "expanding and encouraging", Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljuno said, explaining that trade between the two countries reached US$ 214.32 million in 2015.
"We will jointly explore opportunities to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries," he said at the Moroccan National Day reception in Jakarta on Saturday night.
Morocco is Indonesia's seventh-biggest trading partner in Africa. With its more than $100 billion gross domestic product (GDP) and population of 35 million people, the regional power in North Africa is a promising market as well as a gateway to both African and European countries for Indonesian products and investment, as it is located less than 100 kilometers from Spain.
Indonesia's exports to Morocco over the years include palm oil, furniture, coal, spices, garments and glassware. In recent years, Indonesia added more products to its exports to the North African country such as instant noodles, green tea and coffee.
Publicly listed food giant Indofood is building a US$5 million instant noodle factory in Morocco, its largest factory outside Indonesia, set to begin operation in September or October, Basuki said.
Morocco also serves as an important partner in Indonesia's agricultural sector as it is home to more than 70 percent of world's phosphate, a main ingredient in fertilizers and reserves. Indonesia imports phosphate, fertilizers, chemicals, oranges, iron and steel products from the country.
Echoing a similar view, Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia Mohamed Majdi praised relations between the two countries, calling them "excellent".
Source: Indonesia eyes more economic cooperation with Morocco
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