Recovering Stronger: Indonesia’s Economic Diplomacy towards Ethiopia in the Post-pandemic Era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought severe effects on the international trade sector. Many countries have suffered losses because of bilateral and multilateral trade imbalances. Indonesia and its strategic partner, Ethiopia, are among the countries affected by the spread of the pandemic. This article discusses Indonesia’s economic diplomacy strategy for improving trade relations with Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the Indonesia’s strategic partners in the African continent. The authors use the concept of economic diplomacy to explain Indonesia’s strategy for rebuilding bilateral trade between the two countries. This article offers an argument that a state can leverage its economic diplomacy in the post-pandemic era by focusing on collaboration between the government and the private sector to penetrate the targeted market, promote competitive products, and increase cooperation, particularly in the health sector. To be more specific, the Indonesian government should focus its economic diplomacy towards Ethiopia in these three areas to improve the trade balance following the COVID-19 pandemic.