VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, stated that she will discuss the cooperation potential under the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in climate change and health resilience.

Wong noted in a press release received here on Tuesday that Australia is committed to working together with the region to realize the goals of all parties.

The minister also discussed the topic of ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) with ASEAN ministers.

Indonesia is holding the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) on July 10-14, 2023, as part of its chairmanship this year, in which 29 countries, along with the ASEAN Secretariat and the EU, are participating in the event.

Australia views the ASEAN as being a stable, peaceful, and prosperous region, Wong remarked.

Her current visit to Indonesia was an opportunity to intensify Australia's partnership with Indonesia and reaffirm its support to Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN this year.

"Indonesia is central to Australia's prosperity and our security," Wong affirmed.

Wong is also scheduled to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Friday (July 14).

"I will explain Australia's vision for the region on how we can cooperate with ASEAN in responding to challenges together," she stated.

She will inaugurate a photo exhibition on the framework of 70 Years of Australian Scholarships in Indonesia and participate in a discussion with Indonesian youths.

Wong said she will visit a local health center to reaffirm cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in health reformation.

Earlier, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated that Australia is one of the first strategic comprehensive partners of the ASEAN.

Next year, the ASEAN and Australia will celebrate their five-decade-long relations.

Indonesia also invited Australia's participation in flagship events under the AOIP.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's commitment to boosting bilateral relations with Australia is strong, especially in the economic sector, Marsudi stated. The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) can be a new tool to increase economic partnerships. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - More and more countries are showing an interest in signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said here on Tuesday.

The treaty, which was established in 1976, aims to create political stability and security in Southeast Asia by regulating the peaceful resolution of conflicts between countries.

"We discussed countries' accession to TAC, which we hope that the accession will not only be on paper, but really implemented," Marsudi said concerning the plenary session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held in Jakarta on Tuesday.

One of those countries is Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to sign the TAC on the sidelines of the 56th AMM in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 12).

Serbia's application for TAC accession was approved during the plenary session. ASEAN has also appointed its secretariat to review Algeria's application.

According to Marsudi, as this year's ASEAN chair, Indonesia will also make efforts for Panama, Spain, and Mexico's accession to the TAC on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September.

ASEAN foreign ministers have also expressed support for the cooperation between the ASEAN secretariat and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

"This is our effort to expand the spirit of dialogue, collaboration, inclusivity in the context of making the Indo-Pacific a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region," Marsudi said.

The minister informed that during the plenary session, the ASEAN foreign ministers approved South Africa's application to become a sectoral dialogue partner and, in principle, approved Morocco's application as well.

Regarding Timor Leste's membership, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, said that so far, Timor Leste has participated in 160 ASEAN meetings as part of efforts to accelerate the implementation of the nation's membership road map.

He also lauded Indonesia's leadership in initiating the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, which will be released during the ASEAN Maritime Forum in August 2023.

At the plenary session, Marsudi announced Indonesia's plan to initiate ASEAN Concord IV, which will become ASEAN's post-2025 vision. The core elements of the concord will be further discussed and are planned to be adopted during the 43rd ASEAN Summit. (Antaranews)

North Korea on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as a "criminal act" and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the plan.

The fact that Biden had admitted it was a difficult decision showed he was aware of the disastrous consequences of the use of cluster munitions, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"I, on behalf of the DPRK government, vehemently denounce the U.S. decision to offer WMD (weapons of mass destruction) to Ukraine as a dangerous criminal act to bring a new calamity to the world, and strongly demand the U.S. withdraw the decision immediately," she said.

DPRK refers to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Reclusive North Korea has forged closer ties with the Kremlin and backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in February last year.

"The U.S. has made a very dangerous choice ... which brings to light once again its true colours as destroyer of peace regarding aggression and massacre as its national policy and mode of existence," Choe said.

The United States announced last week it would send Ukraine the weapons controversial for the danger they pose to civilians long after fighting ends as part of an $800 million security package.

Many U.S. allies and partners helping aid Ukraine are among the 111 state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and came into force in 2010.

North Korea is not a party to the convention. Russia, Ukraine and the United States have also not signed the convention

Ukraine said the U.S. decision would help to liberate Ukrainian territory but promised the munitions would not be used in Russia. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - The authority of Chungcheongbuk-do Province, South Korea, explored opportunities for cooperation with the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) of the Religious Affairs Ministry.

"As the world's largest Muslim population and as a friend of South Korea for a long time, we see Indonesia's potential, and we want to discuss cooperation," Chungcheongbuk-do Governor Kim Young Hwan noted in his statement here on Tuesday.

Governor Kim met with Head of BPJPH, Aqil Irham, in Jakarta on Saturday (July 8), where he told Irham that his province is keen to market halal-certified cosmetics, one of Chungcheongbuk-do's flagship products.

"From Chungcheongbuk-do, we offer our world-famous cosmetic products to the world," he stated.

Meanwhile, Irham welcomed the cooperation offered by Governor Kim.

However, he called for the need for a Government-to-Government (G-to-G) cooperation between the two countries.

The G-to-G cooperation will serve as a legal foundation for the recognition of halal certifications of both countries.

"We are very grateful for the initiative of Governor Kim and the Embassy of South Korea that have brought investors to Indonesia, especially cosmetics entrepreneurs," he remarked.

He noted that South Korea's halal authority can register the list of halal-certified products with the BPJPH.

"In this case, the Korea Halal Authority can register the products through ptsp.halal.go.id," he remarked.

Some 25 South Korean delegates, including investors and business actors involved in the cosmetics business, agriculture, and foods, such as kimchi, attended the meeting.

One Kimchi businessman, who was part of the delegation, expressed his interest in exploring halal certification, as he believes halal-certified products are valued as being much higher.

He explained that consumers consider halal products as being much healthier.

Furthermore, Irham noted that starting in 2024, the BPJPH will make it mandatory for all products circulating in Indonesia, including imported products, to be halal-certified.  (Antaranews)