Senegal Plans to Import Trains from Indonesia

Railway carriages made by PT INKA unloaded in a Bangladesh port.

Jakarta, MINA – Senegal plans to import trains made in Indonesia to realize a railway cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Senegal`s junior minister for national railways, Abdou Ndene Sall, said in a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador Mansyur Pangeran that products of PT INKA matches the characteristics of that country`s needs, embassy spokesman Dimas Prihadi told ANTARA on Saturday.

Sall stated that PT INKA`s products would later be used to support Dakar-Bamako railway priority project.

It is hoped that PT INKA could immediately invite him to come to Indonesia to follow up the cooperation agreement. He noted that he had planned to take a technical delegation, consisting of officials from several ministries, to discuss technical issues.

Mansyur hailed Sall`s wish to visit Indonesia and suggested it could be carried out on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Africa Forum in Bali on April 10 and 11.

He expressed hope that the minister would be present and could visit PT INKA as well as PT PAL (shipbuilder) and PT DI (aircraft maker) later.

Senegal is currently developing its land, sea, and air transportation as hub in West Africa.

Mansyur remarked that Indonesia would take the golden opportunity before Senegal turned to countries like China or Turkey.

Besides the fourth CN-235, Senegal is also exploring possibilities to buy trading and patrol ships from Indonesia. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)