{
  "id": 9308146,
  "title": "71 years after Bandung, Indonesia seeks to turn South-South solidarity into trade with Kenya, Africa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/71-years-after-bandung-indonesia-seeks-to-turn-south-south-solidarity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T09:52:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/71-years-after-bandung-indonesia-seeks-to-turn-south-south-solidarity-into-trade-with-kenya-africa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seventy-one years after the historic Bandung Conference in Indonesia set the stage for challenging colonialism and forging a new global order, the nation is now seeking to turn that legacy into a more tangible economic partnership with Africa. Kenya, in particular, has emerged as a key focus for Indonesia's engagement in the continent.\n\nIndonesian officials aim to move beyond the political symbolism of the 1955 Bandung Conference and establish practical South-South partnerships across a range of sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, energy, food security, tourism, education, and technical cooperation. This push comes as Indonesia looks to deepen its engagement with Africa, while Kenya strives to expand its economic relationships beyond traditional partners.\n\nIndonesia's Director for Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, acknowledged that translating the political legacy of Bandung into comparable economic relationships has not always been easy. However, she emphasized that Indonesia views Africa as a non-traditional partner in terms of trade, with food security and other shared challenges presenting opportunities for closer cooperation.\n\nThe Indonesia-Africa Forum, established in 2018, serves as a platform for Indonesia and African countries to develop a mutually beneficial model of cooperation rooted in their shared position as countries of the Global South. Rather than replicating relationships established by larger powers, Indonesia seeks to forge its own unique mechanism of cooperation.\n\nWhile trade remains a significant challenge between Kenya and Indonesia, with a bilateral trade imbalance, Indonesian officials are optimistic about the potential for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to unlock new opportunities for Kenyan exports and narrow the trade gap. They also express interest in a Bilateral Investment Treaty, along with potential expansion in areas such as energy, tourism, agriculture, and the blue economy.",
  "summary": "Indonesia seeks to deepen its engagement with Africa while Kenya looks to expand economic ties beyond its traditional partners.",
  "key_points": [
    "Indonesia seeks to transform Bandung legacy into economic partnership with Africa.",
    "Kenya identified as key focus for Indonesia's engagement in Africa.",
    "Indonesia-Africa Forum established in 2018 for mutually beneficial cooperation."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}