VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Ambassador to Venezuela Imam Edy Mulyono met with Venezuelan Tourism Minister Alí Padrón Paredes to hold discussions on efforts to intensify cooperation between both nations in the tourism sector.

The meeting between the Indonesian ambassador and the Venezuelan tourism minister was held on Tuesday (Jan 19) in Caracas, Venezuela, according to a written statement issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas and received here on Thursday.

On the occasion, the Indonesian ambassador in Caracas and the Venezuelan minister of tourism explored further cooperation in the areas of medical and sports tourism on grounds of similarities in characteristics between the two countries as tropical nations, as well as the development of various sports facilities that Indonesia has, such as the Moto GP circuit, and Indonesia's success in organizing the Asian Games in 2018.

The Venezuelan tourism minister expressed interest to pay a visit and enhance cooperation in the tourism sector with Indonesia.

"Indonesia is one of the countries that has a leading tourism sector. Hence, I am interested in undertaking a visit to Indonesia to participate in tourism exhibitions there as well as to forge further cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia," Minister Paredes stated.

"Similarly, I am hopeful that Indonesia would also participate in tourism exhibitions held in Venezuela," he remarked.

The Indonesian ambassador in Caracas has welcomed the plan. "There has, so far, been positive cooperation between the Governments of Indonesia and Venezuela, one of which is apparent through the promotion of Wonderful Indonesia at various public facilities in Venezuela," Ambassador Mulyono pointed out.

"As such, we also welcome the planned visit of the Venezuelan minister of tourism to Indonesia, as an effort to increase cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector," he remarked.

Furthermore, the Venezuelan tourism minister’s visit is expected to be followed up with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Tourism of both nations that is currently still in the exploratory stage.

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Venezuela were established 61 years ago. Today, cooperation between both nations in the tourism sector has been closely established, including through the promotion of Wonderful Indonesia at various facilities in Venezuela. (antaranews)

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, on Thursday said the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims and the wreckage of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 has been officially terminated.

"Today is the last day of the extension (operation) of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). With various considerations, we close the SAR operation today," the minister said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.

Basarnas conducted the operation for seven days and extended it twice by three days each. A total of 324 body bags were found during the operation.

"We express our gratitude to the DVI team at the Police Hospital for identifying 43 victims and God willing, I hear that today at 5 p.m. WIB, there will be more identified, and of the 43 victims, 32 (bodies) have been handed over to families," Sumadi informed.

PT Jasa Raharja has provided compensation to 39 families and Sriwijaya has compensated one family so far, he added.

"I also heard that there are already additional heirs, at least five people who will be delivered (compensation) soon," he said.

The Minister of Transportation also expressed his gratitude for the hard work of the joint search and rescue team, which comprised personnel from the Ministry of Transportation, Basarnas, the military, the police, the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC), and volunteers.

Even though the search was stopped, Sumadi said he will ensure search efforts continue, such as diverting operations to the NTSC.

The NTSC has reached an agreement with the military and the police to carry out further operations on Lancang Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta.

"Of course, what is being done includes efforts to find a CVR, where the President also hopes that a CVR can be found. So that the analysis carried out by the NTSC will be complete," he said.

The Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182, bearing the registration number PK-CLC, lost contact on Saturday (January 9, 2020) at 2:40 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) shortly after take-off and crashed between Lancang Island and Laki Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta. The flight was traveling on the Jakarta-Pontianak route.

The Boeing 737-500 aircraft lost contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang after crossing an altitude of 11 thousand feet and while climbing to an altitude of 13 thousand feet.

The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2.36 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) on Saturday. Its schedule was delayed from the previous flight schedule of 1.35 p.m. WIB due to weather conditions.

Based on the manifest, the aircraft, which was produced in 1994, was carrying 62 persons: 50 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers comprised 40 adults, seven children, and three babies. (antaranews)

The United States under President Joe Biden intends to join the COVAX vaccine facility that aims to deliver coronavirus vaccines to poor countries, his chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, told the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday.

Fauci, speaking to the WHO executive board, confirmed that the United States would remain a member of the U.N. agency and said it would work multilaterally on issues from the COVID-19 pandemic to HIV/AIDS.

“This is a good day for WHO and a good day for global health,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

“WHO is a family of nations and we are all glad that the U.S. is staying in the family,” Tedros said.

Austria, speaking for the European Union, Britain, Canada, Kenya and South Korea also welcomed the U.S. turnabout and pledged to work together to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

Fauci, speaking from Washington a day after Biden was inaugurated, said: “President Biden will issue a directive later today which will include the intent of the United States to join COVAX and support the ACT-Accelerator to advance multilateral efforts for COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic distribution, equitable access, and research and development.”

The first batches of coronavirus vaccines are expected to go to poorer countries in February under the COVAX scheme run by the WHO and the GAVI vaccine alliance, WHO officials said this week, while raising concerns that richer countries are still grabbing the lion’s share of available shots.

”We welcome the decision by the United States to join the COVAX facility, because vaccinating our own populations is not enough scientifically or morally,” Britain’s ambassador, Julian Braithwaite, told the board.

“We need a global vaccination campaign if we are to overcome this global pandemic.”

Austrian ambassador Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger said on behalf of the EU: “It is time to renew joint EU-US efforts aimed at strengthening as well as reforming international organisations such as the World Health Organization.”

DUES AND REFORMS

The United States will “fulfil its financial obligations” to WHO, Fauci said, adding it would work with the other 193 member states on reforms.

Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, halted funding to the WHO, where the United States is the largest donor, and announced a process to withdraw in July 2021 in what was seen as part of a broader U.S. retreat from multilateral organizations.

Trump accused the WHO of being “China-centric” in the initial stages of the outbreak, a charge rejected by Tedros.

Fauci said it was important to have transparency about the early days of the pandemic to prepare for future events.

Regarding a WHO-led mission investigating the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, currently in the central city of Wuhan, where the first cases were detected in December 2019, he said: “The international investigation should be robust and clear, and we look forward to evaluating it.” (Reuters)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took to his Instagram account @jokowi, on Thursday, to congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their inauguration as president and vice president of the United States (US).

"Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris on their inauguration as the 46th president and 49th vice president of the United States," the Indonesian president wrote on his Instagram account @jokowi, as quoted in Jakarta, Thursday.

Jokowi expressed optimism that under President Biden's leadership, the strategic partnership between the US and Indonesia would continue to be strengthened.

"Let us continue to strengthen strategic partnerships, not only for the interests of our two countries but also for a better world," Jokowi stated.

The 46th President of the US Joe Biden was officially sworn in on Wednesday local time.

In his speech, Biden promised to end the "uncivilized war" in his country torn apart and shaken by a battered economy and the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 400 thousand of its citizens.

Laying hands on a Bible legacy from his family for over a century, Biden took the oath of office, administered by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, binding the president to "preserve, protect and defend the United States Constitution."

"Through the trials of the ages, America has been tested again, and America has risen to the challenge," Biden stated during his inauguration.

"Today, we celebrate the victory not of a candidate, but because of a goal: democracy [...] At this time, my friends, democracy has won," Biden remarked.  

Biden, 78, became the oldest US President in history, being sworn in at a small-scale ceremony in Washington over coronavirus and security concerns following an attack on the US Congress Building, Capitol, by supporters of former president Donald Trump on January 6. (antaranews)