REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LONDON - Indonesia's relations with Albania continues to grow as reflected in its increasing trade with that country. Albania also serves as a gate for Indonesian products to the Balkan states.
"Albania is very strategic for Indonesian products to enter the Balkan states although both countries are geographically located far away," Indonesian Minister Counselor at the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia, Pranowo said.
Pranowo was quoting Albanian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship Brunilda Paskali, who made the remarks in a seminar on Indonesia-Albania Economic Relations at Beder University Tirana. The seminar was held in connection with the 20th anniversary of Indonesia-Albania diplomatic relations.
In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria and Albania, Bunyan Saptomo, said in his keynote speech in the seminar that business makers of the two countries had not yet fully tapped the business potentials of both countries. This is based on the fact that businesses of the countries had not yet been well informed of the potentials of the two countries.
Based on data at the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), the trade relations between the two countries in 2013 increased 178.35 percent from that in the previous year.
Indonesia-Albania trade was recorded at 7.15 million USD in 2012. It rose to 19.91 million USD in 2013. Indonesia's exports to Albania included chemical products, paper, carton, electrical appliances and fishery products.