60 Iraqi Businessmen In Jakarta For Trade Expo Indonesia

London, Oct 18 (Antara) - Sixty businessmen from Iraq are in Jakarta for Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2013, which is being held at the Jakarta International Expo. The expo is a good platform for promoting Indonesian products to foreign buyers, Safzen Noerdin, the Indonesian Ambassador to Iraq, was quoted as saying in a press statement issued by Des Alwi, the Indonesian Embassy`s Minister Counselor, from Baghdad. It is about time Indonesia looks at the Middle East as a potential market, the ambassador observed. "The potential economic relations between Indonesia and the Middle Eastern countries have not yet been utilized to the optimum," he said. Indonesia must intensify the promotion of business opportunities in the fields of construction and oil industry to Iraqi businessmen, he stated. The country must also promote products manufactured by small- and medium-scale enterprises to the businessmen, he added. With economies worth US$2 trillion, the Gulf countries are huge markets and a serious and well-planned approach is needed to tap into them, said Safzen Noerdin. More than 2,000 participants from the country`s small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, state-owned enterprises, and private companies are displaying their products at the Trade Expo, which began on October 16 and ends on October 20. "This event is expected to have a multiplier effect on Indonesia`s economy. It will showcase the country`s natural resources and innovative products made by Indonesians," Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan had earlier stated at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Trade Expo Indonesia is a strategic platform for building the country`s image as a provider of export-quality goods and a creative workforce, the minister had said. In keeping with its `Trade With Remarkable Indonesia` theme, the expo is showcasing locally-made products from sectors such as automotive, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, mines, and construction. Till date, more than 8,343 buyers from 106 countries have registered for the event. This marks an increase from last year when 5,300 buyers attended the event.