FORSEAA is actively working with small business partnerships from both sides to benefit economically especially at time when the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus are still being felt right across the world even as over 1.25 billion vaccinations have been administered globally to date.

Alain St.Ange, the former Tourism Minister who is now the President of the African Tourism Board and Executive Director of FORSEAA (Forum of Small Medium Economic AFRICA ASEAN), is currently on a working visit to Indonesia to help FORSEAA consolidate cooperation between Africa and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bloc.

“Through FORSEAA we are identifying selected items specially earmarked for export to Africa in the first phase with the hope that we can reduce cost of these same items in Africa and open a new trading avenue for innovative business entrepreneurs in Africa. This approach is very much in line with FORSEAA’s stated Vision & Mission Statements, and it has pushed us to work with our network in Africa to help identify possible partners to open this trading avenue between the two blocs – Africa and ASEAN,” said St.Ange.

Recently, representatives of FORSEAA, led by its Executive Director, Alain St.Ange, crisscrossed Indonesia touching key industrial cities to identify products to make the first list for this new FORSEAA-led trade cooperation between the Africa and the ASEAN bloc. “The enthusiasm on the ground was so evident, and the welcome we got in city after city was just great. We now move our efforts to the cataloging to get the ball rolling,” said St.Ange.

Alain St.Ange has been meeting tourism entrepreneurs, and hotel developers to work with them for the post-COVID-19 readiness strategy. This strategy looks at rebranding, upgrading, and replanning where and as necessary.