VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI News, Jakarta: Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi urged Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob to continue supporting Palestine through existing diplomatic channels during their bilateral meeting.

As reported by Antara News Agency (28/9), this request was made especially because Slovenia is currently holding the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for September 2024.

"Indonesia hopes that Slovenia, as the (current holder of the) UNSC Presidency, will continue to support the Palestinian people's struggle, including through sending humanitarian aid and urging Israel to stop its violence and occupation of Palestine," she noted in a statement from her office on Saturday.

At the meeting held on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Friday (September 27), local time, Marsudi lauded Slovenia's decision to recognize Palestinian sovereignty since June 4, 2024.

Moreover, the minister then highlighted the consistency of the Southern European country in calling for a ceasefire and smooth provision of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, as well as supporting the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

During the meeting, the foreign minister also invited Golob to encourage cooperation in the water sector, especially through the exchange of experiences and technology transfer to ensure access to clean water for countries in need.

Besides, Minister Marsudi pointed out that the water and disaster issue had become a matter of concern following Hurricane Boris, which hit central and eastern Europe on September 11-16, causing floods in several areas and severing electricity supply.

Golob, according to the statement, shared Marsudi's views on establishing more concrete cooperation in various fields, including the use of supercomputer technology, artificial intelligence, and satellite technology for monitoring weather and water sources.

Representatives of United Nations member countries gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York to attend the High-Level Week of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on September 22–28, 2024.(Antara)

Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali speaks to the press after honoring President Joko Widodo with the Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet at the Military Sea Command Headquarters, North Jakarta, Saturday (September 28, 2024). (ANTARA/Rangga Pandu A J/rst)

VOI News, Jakarta: President Joko Widodo  emphasized the importance of domestically developing defense equipment, particularly submarine fleets, according to a senior navy official. Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali made the statement after bestowing the Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet on the president at the Military Sea Command Headquarters in North Jakarta on Saturday as reported by Antara News Agency (28/9).

"The president instructs us to always prioritize the domestic manufacture of these ships," Muhammad Ali conveyed.

Amid the planning to procure submarines from France, the admiral affirmed that cooperation would be established with state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL for the production of Indonesian ships and defense equipment to develop this project.

"This is a joint venture between Naval Group and PT PAL to build the latest Scorpène® Evolved submarine equipped with advanced propulsion and weaponry technology," Admiral Muhammad Ali pointed out.

He further expressed hope that this cooperation would strengthen the capabilities of the Indonesian Navy and support the independence of the national defense industry.

"This Scorpène® submarine is the evolved one, the most recent release, which is quite sophisticated in terms of propulsion and weaponry," he highlighted.

On Saturday, President Jokowi was bestowed the Hiu Kencana honorary brevet as a mark of appreciation for his support for the Navy.

"The president has helped the Navy and Submarine Unit in improving and building the strength of the submarine fleet," Ali remarked.

The Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet was also conferred on Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who was also present at the event.

According to Admiral Muhammad Ali, President Jokowi has played a significant role in strengthening Indonesia's submarine fleet through policies applied along with Minister Prabowo.

He also noted that the awarding of this honorary brevet is in keeping with the tradition since almost all Indonesian presidents, including Soekarno, Soeharto, Habibie, Megawati, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, have received the same award. (Antara)

The Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant operated by PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy in Bandung District, West Java. ANTARA/HO-PGE/am.

VOI News, Jakarta: Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia is upbeat about Indonesia mobilizing its profuse natural resources to contribute notably to the global efforts aimed at achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2060.

"Our country is blessed with an enormous amount of natural resources. We have quite abundant renewable energy sources," Minister Bahlil conveyed in a statement received from his office in Jakarta on Friday.

As quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday (20/9), speaking at an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) awarding ceremony  on Thursday (September 19), Lahadalia affirmed that the transition to the more intensive use of new and renewable energy has become inevitable in countries across the globe.

Hence, to this end, the minister underscored the need for Indonesia to assume a strategic role by exerting even greater efforts to preserve the environment and promote the utilization of clean energy.

"Nowadays, talks across the world revolve around green energy and industry, placing focus on long-term sustainability. With that in mind, I believe we have no choice (but to transition). It is necessary to pay closer attention to environmentally friendly development going forward," he said.

The minister also pointed out that in European countries, financial services institutions had begun to embrace the transition to green energy by necessitating people to obtain recommendations from environmental bodies before they could receive financial support.

Indonesia has an enormous new and renewable energy potential of 3,687 gigawatts (GW), comprising 95 GW of hydropower, 3,294 GW of solar power, 57 GW of bioenergy, 24 GW of geothermal energy, 155 GW of wind energy, and up to 63 GW of sea wave power electrification potential.

Furthermore, the Indonesian government has emphasized its commitment to cutting carbon emissions by at least 912 million tons by 2030 in the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (ENDC) document.

Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral Muhammad Ali, delivering a press statement after the launch of two domestically manufactured offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) in Bandarlampung, Lampung province, on Friday (September 20, 2024). (ANTARA/Dian Hadiyatna)

VOI News, Jakarta: The Indonesian Navy is helping support the domestic industry by involving it in the modernization of defense equipment.

As quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday (20/9), Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, delivered the remarks after inducting two domestically manufactured offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) into the naval fleet.

"It shows our support for the domestic shipping industry, as 75 percent of the materials in the construction of these ships are all from within the country," he conveyed at the launch of the new ships at a shipyard in Bandar Lampung city, Lampung, on Friday.

The construction of OPV warships is a strategic step taken by the Navy and the Ministry of Defense to increase operational capacity and capability in facing increasingly complex maritime threats, he informed.

"Of course, as a maritime country with great maritime potential, Indonesia cannot escape from various consequences as well as strategic challenges," he explained.

Indonesia's geographical location and marine wealth have made the archipelago vulnerable to maritime security disturbances, Navy Chief of Staff pointed out.

"It includes violations of territory and natural resources. To face these challenges, the Indonesian Navy continues to strive to strengthen and build its strength," Ali expounded.

Therefore, the Navy will continue to modernize its equipment to maintain the sovereignty and security of Indonesian waters.

"The defense equipment modernization program is also in line with the long-term strategic plan that aims to realize a modern Indonesian Navy that is regionally fearsome and has global projections," Ali said.

The Navy has strengthened its combat fleet by adding two OPV warships made by the domestic shipping industry — KRI Lukas Rumkorem-392 and KRI Raja Haji Fisabilillah-391.

The two OPVs will operate at Koamarda III in the eastern waters of Papua.