VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Bali will become an annual host of the 2018 Indonesia-Africa Forum next April. In a press briefing in Jakarta recently, Spokesperson of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Armanatha Nasir said one of the points to be discussed in the forum is digital economy. Since, the digital economy has great potential that can be developed in Africa.

“What we need to see is that now, the African population as a whole is nearly 1.3 billion people and the population growth until the 21st century that’s projected 40% growth will be present in Africa. So, we can imagine that their demographic dividend or demographic bonus will be the largest in Africa; the young will be in Africa, and this will be very potential for us to develop digital economy,” Armanatha Nasir said.

Armanatha further said that so far, the relationship between Indonesia and African countries is still in political sphere. At the upcoming forum, what to be encouraged are economic relations. He said the aim of the Indonesia-Africa Forum is to introduce Indonesia's superiority to Africa, and African excellence to Indonesia in the hope of opening wider trade cooperation. Meanwhile, Director for Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Tumpal Simanjuntak said that the meeting to take place in Bali on 10 and 11^th of April will be opened by President Joko WI dodo. The forum will be attended by about 550 participants from 53 African countries. (VOI/Rifai/Trans by Rhm)