The final day of the meeting was chaired by His Excellency, Sering Modou Njie, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Relations and Gambians Abroad along with His Excellency, Arrmanatha C. Nasir, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
The joint commission meeting held at the African Princess Hotel, Banjul, witnessed both country’s reaffirming their resolve to prioritise agriculture and food security as key areas of bilateral cooperation, and welcomed continued collabo through the Agricultural Rural Farmers Training Centre (ARFTC).
Day-one of the senior official meeting was led by Ambassador Lang Yabou, permanent secretary 1 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad and Ms Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, director of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
At the event, both countries expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in agricultural modernisation, rice production, irrigation development, mechanisation, agricultural research, technology transfer, agro-processing and value addition, with a view to enhancing food security and rural development.
The two sides also emphasised the importance of expanding bilateral trade and investment and encouraged stronger engagement between their respective business communities.
The meeting also welcomed continued collaboration in investment promotion, trade facilitation, private-sector partnerships, SME development, the halal industry and business exchanges.
The Gambian side welcomed Indonesia's growing engagement with the ECOWAS region and expressed its readiness to facilitate engagement with the relevant ECOWAS institutions through appropriate channels.
Education, research and human resource development also form another important Area that both countries agreed to work on as important pillars for sustainable development.
Additionally, the meeting also witnessed the launch of the Indonesian Alumni Association in The Gambia and the engagement between the Indonesian delegation and the University of The Gambia as important steps towards strengthening institutional cooperation and people-to-people relations.
The Gambian side further encouraged and welcomed the Indonesia Alumni Association in The Gambia with the University of The Gambia.
Meanwhile, the meeting further reaffirmed shared commitment of both Governments to further strengthen cooperation based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and South-South Cooperation.
The two sides reviewed the progress made since the inaugural Session of the Joint Commission and the Foreign Office Consultations held in Bali, Indonesia, and exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The two sides also reiterated their commitment to working closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organisations on matters of common interest.
The meeting noted the Gambian side's intention to appoint an Honorary Consul in Jakarta and welcomed continued consultations on the matter through diplomatic channels.
