ASIA EXPLORING COOPERATION WITH MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE

Banda Aceh, Aug 14 (ANTARA) - Members of the Association of Acehnese Fish Traders (ASIA) will be making a business visit to Malaysia and Singapore to explore trade cooperation with their counterparts in the two countries.

ASIA secretary Zulkifli said in Banda Aceh Friday the 16-member ASIA delegation will be leaving on Saturday (Aug 15), for six days of meetings with their counterparts in Malaysia.

The visit of the ASIA delegation to Malaysia received assistance from the FAO, and they planned to visit fish markets in Kuala Lumpur, Perak, and Penang, to explore cooperation in fish exports.

He also said that the lion's share of fish exports to Singapore and Malaysia came from Aceh and exported via Belawan port in North Sumatra.

According to reliable sources, at least two tons of fresh fish were exported from Aceh to the two neighboring countries every day.

"We wished that the fish exports were conducted by Acehnese and no longer via Belawan port," he said.
ASIA will give its full support to the conversion of the Idi Rayeuk fish port in East Aceh regency into a fish export terminal.

"We were hoping that next year Idi Rayeuk port will become a gateway of fish exports to Malaysia and Singapore," he said, adding that to support the project the Aceh administration needed to prepare the infrastructure like cold storages.

"If the Aceh administration does not have the capacity to prepare the infrastructure, ASIA will help invite investors to do the job," he said.