KUWAIT, INDONESIA TO CELEBRATE BILATERAL DIPLOMATIC RELATION
Kuwait and Indonesia will celebrate their golden jubilee of a bilateral diplomatic relation on February 28, 2018, marking 50 years of distinguished and developed friendship between the two countries, said Kuwaiti Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulwahab Al-Sager during an Interview with the media delegation recently in Jakarta.
Ambassador Al-Sager expressed his interests in witnessing the convening of the Higher Joint Committees of Kuwait and Indonesia, which is slated to be held next year. The first session of the Committee will be held in Kuwait under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, with the aim of fulfilling the desired objectives of the two countries through signing economic agreements and contracts of investment.
Al-Sager said that although Indonesia is a state with the largest Islamic population and has many tourist attractions, it is not a favored destination for Kuwaitis. He added that Indonesia could easily become a preferred destination for Kuwaiti families given how, in addition to its numerous scenic sites and the fact that it is generally a conservative Islamic society; Indonesia has many attractions that lure Kuwaitis including family shopping and entertainment venues.
Ambassador Sagar revealed that, “Kuwait is also in need of Indonesian tourists. When they visit
Doha, Dubai and Saudi Arabia for religious tourism, they often overlook Kuwait for the same,” referencing to the lack of a direct flight between the two countries, especially since Kuwait Airways has now stopped flying to Jakarta and Malaysia, he said, promoting more bilateral agreements and introducing a direct flight route is a crucial step to influence a change.
Regarding the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries, the ambassador said there is plenty of scope for further increasing the numbers. He added that direct investments accounted to around $500,000 and indirect investments amounted to roughly $2 billion dollars, while the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has provided soft loans totaling over $200 million to Indonesia.
Indonesia is famous for a number of goods exchanged between the two countries to meet Kuwait’s needs, said Ambassador Al-Sager. “Indonesia is a large country that is rich with resources imported by Kuwait, including palm oil, auto parts and furniture, especially its famous local furniture industry and high quality timber.”
Ambassador Al-Sager announced that, “Kuwait and Indonesia would require a greater consolidation of economic relations, but we lack the financial agreements and memorandums of understanding to promote investor protection and capital. “Signing an agreement or memorandum of understanding to encourage and protect Kuwaiti investment in Indonesia will help further investments in Indonesia.”
Kuwait, being an oil state desires to work in the field of exploring and drilling oil fields in Indonesia, the ambassador pointed out that the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), which has been in Jakarta for the last 15 years has sadly encountered a number of obstacles and limitations in their work as a result of bureaucracy and red-tape.
“Indonesia has a large development plan that includes six major oil refineries and needs Gulf Oil companies, such as those in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. However, the country lacks the necessary incentives to encourage such companies to work with them.” He further stressed that, “It is in the interest of the Arab oil-producing countries to work and invest in Indonesia and its development plans for the future, especially due to their strong Islamic population and the wonderful relations between Indonesia and Arab countries.” In regards to education, Ambassador Al-Sager stated, “There are a number of scholarships provided by the University of Kuwait and Public Authority for Applied Education to Indonesian students who seek education in Kuwait. Incidentally, the Indonesian interpreter in the Kuwait Embassy in Indonesia studied in Kuwait for 13 years, and now works for the Kuwait government.” Although he noted that there are no scholarship opportunities for Kuwaiti students to study in Indonesia, especially as there is a condition to learn the local language before you can enroll in Indonesian universities.
The envoy also announced that, in the past 13 years, Kuwait has provided humanitarian aid to Indonesia adding up to about KD 50 million ($150 million). “Through the international cooperation and development, the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides official assistance for humanitarian work and charity. Ambassador Al-Sager also suggested regulating the donations and ensuring the funds were directed to those who deserve them,” he said.
Ambassador Al-Sager noted that the Kuwait Red Crescent association, which established a fund for the victims of the tsunami that hit the Indonesian provinces in 2004, on behalf of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, has so far provided aid to almost 50,000 people. Moreover, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah, has funded the rebuilding of an entire village while two other villages are being constructed in the vicinity of Jakarta in the name of Sheikh Ali Sabah Al-Nasser.
Kuwait is also in need of Indonesian tourists