The Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Indonesia, Sheikh Abdul Karim Harelimana, emphasizes that the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) is crucial for Indonesia, Rwanda, and other participating African countries as it is beneficial for all. ANTARA/Katriana

Jakarta, 23 August 2024—The Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Indonesia, Sheikh Abdul Karim Harelimana, emphasized that the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) is crucial for Indonesia, Rwanda, and other African countries in addressing environmental and economic challenges.

The challenges include the inequality in trade and commodity exchanges between developing and developed countries.

“The Global North (developed countries) takes raw materials at meager prices. When they process them in their countries, factories, and industries, they bring them back to developing countries at very high and expensive prices,” he said on Thursday (Aug. 22) in Jakarta. 

Another challenge is the increasing environmental degradation, especially in Western countries, where industrial activities cause environmental damage, significantly impacting the world.

“And when we discuss it, when we seek solutions for it, they view it from their economic perspective, from the economic side that they do not want to lose (suffer losses),” he said. 

Harelimana hopes that the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum will help Indonesia and African countries find solutions to the challenges faced by developing countries.

“So, if the countries of the Global South understand that these issues require their attention and solutions from within themselves, I hope that with this forum, we will be able to face and overcome these challenges,” he said. 

With the theme “Bandung Spirit for Africa's Agenda 2063,” the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum is expected to serve as a foundation for building future cooperation between Indonesia and African countries. 

The forum will prioritize collaborations in economic transformation, energy, mining, food security, health, and development.

The expected concrete outcomes include agreements between governments (G-to-G), business agreements (G-to-B and B-to-B), and a Grand Design for development between Indonesia and African countries. This also includes collaboration with third countries through triangular cooperation. (Katriana / Rahmad Nasution/TR/Elvira Inda Sari/WW/PR).

***

For more information, please contact:

Director for Information and Media Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Hartyo Harkomoyo (0811831899) 

Get more information at https://infopublik.id/kategori/hlf-msp-iaf.