Queen Maxima paid a working visit to Indonesia on 11 to 13 February 2018 in her capacity as UN Special Envoy for Inclusive Finance. She held a meeting with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Puan Maharani on Tuesday 13 February in Jakarta. After the meeting, Puan Maharani told the media that Queen Maxima appreciated the financial inclusion in Indonesia. Since her first visit untul her current visit to Indonesia, there has been a lot of progress made by Indonesia where the provision of social assistance to the community has been done in a non-cash program. Minister Puan pointed out that the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture has distributed Smart Indonesia Cards to 19.7 million school children and have been distributed through state or non-cash banks. She added that the non-cash assistance of the Family Hope Program have also been disributed to 10 million mothers. In addition, Non-Cash Food Assistance to beneficiary families has also been channeled through state-owned banks. Therefore, Queen Maxima appreciated the financial inclusion in Indonesia that has been three times advanced in a not too long period of time.
“Queen Maxima strongly supports the financial inclusion in Indonesia and hopes that in the future Indonesia as a very big country can implement a more systematic and programmed financial inclusion, so that by name by address that access, it can obviously be well received by the beneficiaries. And of course she appreciated what Indonesia has done with its inclusive finances. So it is hoped the future financial inclusion in Indonesia will be bigger and can be simpler than now,” Puan maharani said.
Puan Maharani further said, Queen Maxima in the meeting also said that the most necessary is the connectivity between the outermost areas and the forefront of Indonesia, where social assistance is not properly acceptable. According to Queen Maxima, it would be better if the government could approach the people compared with the people who come to the banks. In the future, the government will provide 47 thousand e-warongs where beneficiaries of the Hope Family program can shop online. Qeen Maxima last visited Indonesia in 2016. (VOI/SEKAR/AHM)
The repatriation of ethnic Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar is soon to be implemented. To that end, Indonesia offered to assist in the process of the repatriation. Especially now Myanmar wants to accept Indonesia’s offer after previously rejected it due to Indonesia approved the resolution issued by the United Nations. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar, Ito Sumardi, to the media crew on Tuesday, February 13th in Jakarta.
“Of course Indonesia hopes this repatriation can run smoothly, safely, and peacefully for the process of their reconciliation. Secondly, Indonesia also certainly offers its contribution in this repatriation where they are willing to accept. At first they were against it, maybe they were disappointed when Indonesia who had been supporting them suddenly approved the resolution. But we gave reason that we approved the resolution as a friend to make a balance,” Ito Sumardi said.
Ito Sumardi added that in relation to the repatriation process that will be implemented in the near future, prossibly the Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi or the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto will hold a meeting with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition to the sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) Indonesia also calls that sanctions given to Myanmar to be as objective as possible based on the existing facts. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)
Indonesia and Morocco are seeking to collaborate in promoting moderation and interfaith dialogue. The development of the two countries is very possible because both countries have been running the program in respective country. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs A.M Fachir to the media after his bilateral meeting with Morocco's Deputy Foreign Minister Mounia Boucetta at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia on Tuesday, 13 February.
"We also discussed how to promote moderation. So they also have the program. We have a program as well. Both promote the continuing moderation then interfaith dialogue. We have the same program which can then be collaborated between Morocco and Indonesia. And we may also share it with other countries, "Mounia Boucetta said.
In addition, on the same occasion, A.M Fachir also said that Morocco is eager to become a sectoral partner of ASEAN. Therefore, in his bilateral meeting with Morocco's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mounia Boucetta seeks to identify potential sectors to be developed by both countries and other ASEAN member countries. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia received a bilateral visit of Morocco's Deputy Foreign Minister, Mounia Boucetta at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, Tuesday, 13 February. To the reporter, A. M Fachir explained, in the meeting, they discussed the development of cooperation relations between the two countries. During the meeting, Morocco expressed its support to Indonesia to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UN).
"Yes this is a visit from the Secretary of State from Morocco, my counterpart, essentially we are trying to discuss how to promote relationships and cooperation. We are grateful to Morocco for supporting us to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Then that also we have no political problems, but we always work together on international issues. But bilaterally our challenge is how to translate that good in mutual cooperation, "A.M Fachir said.
A.M. Fachir added that in the meeting he also stressed the need to have an agreement between Indonesia and Morocco to facilitate Indonesian businessmen in Morocco. Indonesia itself in January has proposed a draft of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to Morocco. The draft agreement is scheduled to be discussed in the near future so that Indonesian businessmen in Morocco can improve their performance. According to A.M. Fachir,the latest data collected related to trade between Indonesia and Morocco, there was a significant decline in trading volume at 110,000 US Dollar, which previously reached 150,000 US Dollars. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)