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The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises is establishing bilateral cooperation with Timor Leste to strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as cooperatives so that they provide more benefits to the economies of both countries.

This cooperation was confirmed in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which was held in Jakarta, Tuesday (20/2).

Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Teten Masduki said that the scope of the collaboration included a commitment to develop capacity building, partnerships between cooperatives, feasibility studies related to developing the business potential of cooperatives and SMEs, training and exchange visits, as well as strengthening SMEs and cooperative programs through regional collaboration.

Minister Teten Masduki further remarked that this collaboration will open up broad opportunities for cooperatives and MSMEs in both countries to learn from each other, and exchange information. He added that in the future, the Governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste can jointly evaluate certain sectors that may be developed by cooperatives and MSMEs so that they can strengthen the existing cooperation.

He also hopes that this memorandum of understanding can be implemented well, and all parties can make good use of this opportunity, and if successful, it can be continued for the next memorandum of understanding period.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Cooperatives of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Arsénio Pereira da Silva, said that the signing of the memorandum of understanding was a follow-up to the previous meeting between Indonesia and Timor Leste at the 2023 ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit.

Da Silva hopes that through this collaboration, his side can learn to develop MSMEs and cooperatives so that they are stronger and can grow together in the ASEAN region.

If you travel to Kutai, East Kalimantan, don't forget to try its typical cuisine, "Nasi Bekepor" or Bekepor Rice. This delight was once known as the food of nobles and kings. At that time, Bekepor Rice was a special menu often served when the King of Kutai received a visit from a guest of honor. In the Kutai language, "bekepor" means "to move" or "to rotate". It is called Bekepor Rice because of the way it is cooked on a wood-fired stove, then rotated while stirring so that it cooks evenly.

Nasi Bekepor or Bekepor Rice is cooked over wood charcoal by mixing half-cooked rice with basil leaves, chilies, lime juice, vegetable oil, and pieces of salted fish in a large cauldron. Bekepor Rice is fluffy, but the color is a bit pale and oily because it has been mixed with oil and various spices. It tastes savory and delicious, with an appetizing aroma of spices.

Nasi Bekepor or Bekepor Rice is usually eaten with several side dishes such as meat seasoned with soy sauce, eggplant soup with dayak onions, hoven's carp fish, gangan asam (sour vegetables) cooked with fish heads and sweet potatoes, and gence ruang, a typical East Kalimantan fried chili sauce. Don't forget the sambal raja, the perfect accompaniment to eating Bekepor rice. This chili sauce is made from a mix of six ingredients: fried eggplant chili sauce, asparagus bean, chives, boiled egg, mudfish, boiled shrimp, and kwini mango. Bekepor Rice is sold in restaurants in Kutai at a price of around 25,000 to 30,000 rupiah, or 1.5 to 2 US dollars per portion.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Finland, Ratu Silvy Gayatri, and the Minister of Economy of Finland, Wille Rydman, agree to encourage economic cooperation between the two countries. They conveyed this at a follow-up meeting after the visit of the Finnish business delegation to Indonesia.

Quoting the official statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki on Sunday, 18^th of February, 2024, Ambassador Ratu Silvy Gayatri appreciated Finnish business delegation’s visit to Indonesia at the end of January of 2024. This visit is part of the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Finland.

During the meeting, Ambassador Gayatri also invited Minister Rydman to attend the Indonesia-Finland Festival 2024, an integrated promotional activity which will be held in Finland’s capital, Helsinki, from 15^th to 16^th of June, 2024.

According to information from the Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki, the visit of business delegation led by Minister Rydman was considered one of the most productive working visits. The Indonesian market, as the largest market in Southeast Asia, is considered to have great potential in improving bilateral relations and economic activity between Finland and Indonesia.

During the visit, a Finnish business delegation consisting of 15 companies was interested in developing the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), as a smart city. Finnish companies brought various technological solutions such as 5G and 6G connectivity technology innovations, vehicle battery charging stations, and satellite technology to monitor forest areas.

Minister Rydman expressed support to opening access for Finnish private companies to increase their presence in Indonesia. Finnish companies will conduct direct negotiations with their partners in Indonesia, facilitated by Business Finland Jakarta.

The meeting between Ambassador Gayatri and Minister Rydman, was an important moment since the formation of the Finnish cabinet under the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, which began last year. The Indonesian Embassy in Helsinki hopes that the economic cooperation between Indonesia and Finland will further develop through closer collaboration. 

Batam International Airport had more international flight routes. The latest one was Batam-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was officially opened on Saturday (17/02). In the early stage, there will be three flights per week with Batik Air, but it aims to have at least one flight per day. The official launching was held at the departure gate of Batam Hang Nadim International Airport. The launch was marked by hanging flowers to tourists from Batam who are going to Kuala Lumpur. As quoted by tempo.co, Batam International Airport President Director Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah in his remark said the new route was a follow-up of Batam City Government's intention to make Batam a tourism city in 2024, with a target of 2 million international tourist visits. Pikri said the follow up of cooperation between Batam International Airport with Batam City Government is not only developing the airport physically like the terminal two, but also adding more international flight routes. Later, after Malaysia, there will be flights from Batam to Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries.

Head of Batam Authority (BP Batam) Muhammad Rudi said the regional government's duty is developing the investment in the tourism sector, namely by boosting tourist visits. Rudi, who is also the Mayor of Batam City hoped the new international route will encourage Batam to achieve the 2 million international tourist visit target. According to Rudi, prior to the pandemic, the target was achieved, but many used the domestic seaport route. Rudi also hoped there will be new cooperation between the two countries in tourism promotions after the new flight route. The two nations' governments can create a mutually-beneficial promotion event.

Similarly, Deputy Director Tourism Malaysia Medan Yusnita Yusof said a cooperation between the two nations is necessary to promote tourism. Yusnita said Malaysia aimed to have 4 million tourists. In the first flight of the new route, there were 114 tourists from Kuala Lumpur to Batam on Friday (16/02). Then on Saturday (17/02), there were 162 tourists.