VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian is utilizing the opportunity to cooperate on climate change -- especially pertaining to mangroves, coral reefs, and blue carbon -- with Saudi Arabia.

The Indonesian delegates were led by Forest and Environment Management Coordinating Deputy at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Nani Hendiarti and Electricity Director General at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Rida Mulyana during a working visit to the capital Riyadh on March 29-30, 2022.

The working visit was aimed at following up on the visit of Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to Saudi Arabia few times back to seek cooperation opportunities between both nations.

Saudi Arabia had earlier held some virtual meetings with Indonesia before the working visit.

The Indonesian delegates, accompanied by Economic Function at the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh on the first day of the working visit, met Saudi’s counterparts led by Environment Deputy Minister at the Environment, Irrigation, and Agriculture Ministry Ibrahim Faqeeha along with National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combatting Desertification, National Centre for Wildlife Head and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology representatives.

“We warmly welcome what has been conveyed by Saudi’s counterparts in the meeting. Currently, Indonesia also targets the mangrove rehabilitation of 600 thousand hectares, including the blue carbon, coral reef restoration, and Blue Halo-S agendas for which it will cooperate with Saudi Arabia,” Hendiarti remarked in a press statement here on Tuesday.

Indonesia also conveyed the 2045 Bali Net Zero Emission Program in which Saudi can contribute, she noted.

The delegates, thereafter, met Saudi’s agriculture deputy minister at the office of the Environment, Irrigation, and Agriculture Ministry.

The country is building North Sumatra’s food estate and is planning to develop the new food estate in Central Sulawesi that will support food security in its new capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan, she stated.

“The food estate development also draws Saudi’s serious attention, especially with regard to the vegetable, flour, onion, and dairy commodities. Indonesia continues to make efforts in order that Saudi Arabia can contribute since food estate development is not only related to commodities but also the modern agricultural mechanism and the development of human resources,” Hendiarti explained.

Saudi Arabia will learn Indonesia’s proposal, she noted while adding that both countries continue to hold virtual meetings to realize the cooperation sectors to be agreed upon.

The agreement signing is expected to be conducted at the ministerial level in May or no later than June 2022.  (Antaranews)