VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia and Sweden on Monday asserted their commitment to manage public and business cooperation to help realize a greener and more sustainable economy.

In her opening remarks at the start of the Sweden-Indonesia Sustainability Partnership (SISP) Week, which is being held online this year, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said that Sweden is an important European partner for the archipelagic nation, adding it is important for both countries to "recover together and stronger" from the COVID-19 crisis.

"I am confident our partnership can bring added value to our respective economic recovery; one such area is building a greener and more sustainable economy," Marsudi noted.

The foreign affairs minister also highlighted President Joko Widodo's message to leaders of the Group of 20 economies (G20) on Sunday night (November 22, 2020) to use the pandemic as a reason for pushing forward green economy goals.

"We have much to learn from Sweden in this regard. Sweden has shown that it is possible to combine economic growth with environmental protections. Sweden is also widely recognized as one of the leaders of environmental innovations and technologies," Marsudi observed.

At the same event, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven also delivered a message on the economic recovery of Sweden and Indonesia, which have been impacted by the unprecedented outbreak, through a bilateral cooperation framework, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries.

"The crisis reminds us of the importance of working together, in international solidarity across borders, to find ways to jointly address our most pressing global challenges: the pandemic, the climate crisis, economic recovery, and widening inequalities," Lofven stated.

He also reiterated that "coming back from the crisis, we must, and we will build back stronger, greener and more inclusive societies; we must deliver on the 2030 agenda and the principle of leaving no one behind”.

The diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Sweden date back to 1950. Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's official visit to Jakarta in 2017 at President Widodo's invitation also resulted in several collaborations.

"This week presents us with an excellent opportunity to build on that momentum and form new partnerships for the future," Prime Minister Lofven noted. (Antaranews)