VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The ASEAN Rural Culture Expo in Yogyakarta aims to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) promote their products to ASEAN delegates, according to Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, Abdul Halim Iskandar.

"This exhibition is part of the series of activities of the 1st ASEAN Village Network Meeting, where we showcase MSME products from villages in Indonesia as well as ASEAN countries," he said in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday.

He mentioned that representatives from village-owned enterprises and tourism villages in Indonesia are exhibiting interesting products at the event.

"This activity should be followed up so that cooperation among ASEAN villages can run," he said.

Indonesia is currently holding the chairmanship of ASEAN, with the theme "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth," reflecting its goal of making ASEAN an important and relevant global growth center.

At the 42nd ASEAN Summit held from May 9–11, 2023, in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, the bloc's leaders produced several important documents, including a Declaration on the Establishment of an ASEAN Villages Network.

Iskandar said that the exhibition is expected to help villages in ASEAN, especially in Indonesia, strengthen their economic growth and improve their human resource quality.

"(This exhibition) will encourage the acceleration of economic growth, as we can expect to witness cooperation agreements forged between village-owned enterprises of different countries," he explained.

The minister also said that the expo is expected to become a platform for villages to promote their products while preserving their cultural heritage and diversity.

"Villages can introduce their featured products and promote their respective cultures and identities," he noted.

He then expressed hope that the exhibition will also serve as a medium for rural communities in ASEAN to exchange knowledge and experiences that can help them build their capacity. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - National Development Planning Minister and National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) head Suharso Monoarfa has outlined three efforts made by Indonesia to support the transformation of global food systems to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"First, Indonesia commits to transforming its food system at the national and regional levels," he said at the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) +2 Stocktaking Moment, held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.

Indonesia's Law No. 18 of 2023 concerning Food has mandated the country to transform its food system into a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable one, Monoarfa observed in an official statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.

As the largest archipelagic state, Indonesia is striving to transform its food system by localizing it according to the country's local biodiversity and sociocultural aspects, he informed.

"In this context, Indonesia considers agricultural food system transformation and the nexus of food, energy, and water, as essential aspects of the 2025–2045 National Long-term Development Plan (RPJPN)," he said.

The minister then elaborated on the second effort, stating that Indonesia is emphasizing the importance of strengthening the agricultural sector and supporting smallholders in efforts to successfully transform its food system.

"Smallholders play a crucial role in the food system. Therefore, the Indonesian government takes initiative to create an 'enabling environment' that can help smallholders," Monoarfa explained.

The final effort pertains to the urgency to forge stronger and more inclusive multi-party partnerships for transforming the food system.

The minister said that the Indonesian government has initiated a series of multiparty dialogues and partnerships, such as the formulation of the Regional Action Plan for Food and Nutrition, to achieve this end.

In addition, the central government has allocated a dedicated budget to help regional governments develop local food systems, he added.

"The world should intensify cooperation and collaboration for the sake of the development of the food system. Together, we must invest even greater collective efforts to achieve the targets set in the SDGs," he stressed.

Furthermore, he urged the world to achieve the goals by developing more sustainable, just, and resilient food systems with the objective of alleviating global famine and poverty. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists have started showing a preference for destinations that promote environmentally sustainable and small-scale tourism.

Speaking at the opening of the 2023 International Tourism Investment Forum (ITIF) here on Wednesday, he asked investors to prioritize green investment in developing sustainable tourism in Indonesia.

"We believe that investment after COVID-19 advances investments that are personalized, localized, bigger in impact, but smaller in size. Apart from that, this investment refers to green investment and this is the future of our economy," he said.

According to him, the trend of tourism investment has also shifted to green tourism investment.

Green investment is an investment that prioritizes environmental sustainability in the tourism sector, and this trend is expected to continue in the future.

Uno said that based on the data that he has obtained, in 2022, Indonesia recorded US$225.28 billion in foreign direct investment in the tourism sector and US$577.87 billion in domestic direct investment.

The minister expressed the hope that the ITIF will become a platform for sharing experiences and ideas between investors and stakeholders related to the development of sustainable tourism in Indonesia, especially since Indonesia has certain advantages in terms of natural and cultural wealth.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy developed the CHSE (cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental sustainability) protocol as part of an effort to increase tourist and investor confidence to develop an environmentally sustainable tourism sector.

"We must think out of the box in developing the existing tourism potential. Because tourism is not a problem; tourism is a part of the post-pandemic (economic) solution," he added.

The ITIF is being held on July 26 and 27, 2023, in Badung, Bali.​​​​​​​  (Antaranews)

After years of pandemic isolation, North Korea has invited its friends back this week, hosting senior Chinese and Russian delegations for 70th anniversary commemorations of the Korean War and the struggle against the United States and its allies.

The visiting dignitaries, which include Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong, are expected to be presented with one of North Korea's signature events: a massive military parade showcasing its latest weaponry.

Analysts say the spectacle will likely include the North's nuclear-tipped missiles banned by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China are permanent members.

The visits are the first known foreign delegations to visit North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and come as Pyongyang has looked to deepen its ties with Beijing and Moscow, finding common ground in their rivalries with Washington and the West.

Thursday's holiday, in which North Korea celebrates what it sees as a victory over U.S.-led allied forces in the 1950-1953 Korean War, provides a chance for Pyongyang to highlight the Cold War days when North Korean troops fought with Chinese and Russian support.

North Korea is still technically at war with the U.S.-led alliance after fighting ended in an armistice, rather than a formal peace treaty.

"North Korea inviting delegations from both countries seems to be a case of history rhyming, whereby Pyongyang is gearing up to stand up against the West, but perceives the need to maintain relatively balanced ties with both China and Russia," said Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at Sino-NK, a website that analyses the region.

Only time will tell if the visits signal a broader easing in North Korea's bans on international travel, which could in theory provide an opening for U.S. officials to negotiate the release of U.S. soldier Travis King, who crossed into North Korea last week, Rinna said.

However, it seems unlikely that Pyongyang will seek to engage with Washington any time soon, and may consider itself to be in a full-scale New Cold War with the United States, he added.

MILITARY DISPLAYS

Images from Russia's defence ministry and North Korean media showed Shoigu being greeted by North Korean defence minister Kang Sun Nam and Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora at the airport, and rows of North Korean and Russia troops.

The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia during the war in Ukraine, including an arms delivery of infantry rockets and missiles to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group in November 2022.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied those claims, but Kim has vowed to bolster strategic cooperation between the nations.

The military parade in Pyongyang is likely to include as many as 15,000 personnel, and possibly feature new designs of nuclear-capable weapons, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Commercial satellite imagery over recent weeks have shown participants practicing, including in downtown Kim Il Sung Square where the event will take place, with large formations showing the number "70" and other slogans, said Dave Schmerler, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS).

At a training ground outside Pyongyang, military units appeared to be practicing marching around the square track with vehicles behind them, Schmerler added, citing imagery provided to Reuters by U.S.-based firm Umbra, which used radar imaging satellites to peer through cloud cover.

'SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY'

Leader Kim Jong Un kicked off commemorations this week with visits to a cemetery for Chinese soldiers who fought in the war, known as the Fatherland Liberation War, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. The only defence treaty China and North Korea have is with each other.

Kim also visited the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery on Monday, KCNA reported, as he praised the soldiers for "inflicting defeat" on U.S. imperialism.

Amid international sanctions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes - which both Moscow and Beijing voted to impose - China has become by far North Korea's largest trading partner. China's exports to its secretive neighbour in June were eight times higher than a year before.

Beijing asserted on Monday that it "strictly" implements U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

Russia and China have rebuffed recent attempts by the United States and some European countries to impose new sanctions on North Korea.

They have instead pushed for existing measures to be eased for humanitarian purposes and to entice Pyongyang back to denuclearisation talks, which broke down in 2019.

Yang said the delegations could signal that long-stalled diplomatic visits could resume.

"If North Korea also sends a high-level delegation to China for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, it means the resumption of high-level 'shuttle diplomacy' between North Korea and China since the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. (Reuters)