Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is striving to accelerate post-pandemic economic recovery through the Pacific Exposition 2 event, scheduled to be held from October 27 to 30 this year, which Pacific countries are expected to join, an official said.
The trade, investment, and tourism exhibition, which will bring together business makers from all countries in the Pacific region, including Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand, was held for the first time in Auckland in July, 2019.
At the first Pacific Exposition, Indonesia reportedly recorded export transaction commitments of 70.3 million US dollars from products and services in the hospitality sector, fresh/frozen tuna, coffee, copra, cloves, nutmeg, seaweed, rattan products, handicrafts, car products, printing of payment transaction instruments, as well as MICE.
“In the midst of the pandemic, the Indonesian government is once again making a breakthrough in economic diplomacy through the Pacific Exposition 2, which will take place virtually,” said Tantowi Yahya, Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga, during a media briefing on Wednesday.
As many as six provinces of eastern Indonesia — Papua, West Papua, Maluku, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara — will participate at Pacific Exposition 2, along with 19 other Pacific countries to promote tourism and trade.
The six provinces are geographically located in the Pacific region. In addition, the ethnic groups in these provinces belong to the Polynesian and Melanesian racial groups, as do the inhabitants of the Pacific region, Yahya noted.
“The occurrence of connectivity, trade, economic, and personal interactions between communities and provinces in eastern Indonesia and the Pacific is one of the main goals of the Indonesian government in holding this event,” the ambassador said.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘It’s Pacific Time’, Yahya informed adding, the event reflects the optimism in the Pacific region about overcoming the pandemic.
It also indicates that the region is ready to start an early economic recovery and become an engine of economic growth, he added.
In addition to trade fairs and business matching, the event will feature several forums, including The Pacific Talk, Trade and Investment Forum, Tourism Forum, Health Forum and Fisheries Forum, he informed.
The forums will bring together ministers, officials, and experts who are experienced in dealing with related issues from both Indonesia and Pacific countries.
Through Pacific Exposition 2, which will be held amid all the limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia is targeting a transaction commitment of 1 trillion Indonesian rupiahs, Yahya said. (INE)
Source: Antara News