VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and New Zealand`s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardem discussed economic cooperation improvement in a meeting at the Parliament Building in Wellington on Monday. According to a press release from the deputy for protocol, press and media of the Presidential Secretariat, Bey Machmudin, improving economic cooperation was important for the two countries. As open economies, Indonesia and New Zealand signaled trade and investment relations could be built to produce mutually beneficial relations.

"Trade relations are not zero-sum game. therefore let us try to settle the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)," President Joko Widodo said.

With regard to bilateral trade the two countries have set a target of reaching four billion New Zealand dollars by 2024 and so the two countries need to work hard to achieve it. President Joko Widodo in particular praised the New Zealand market that has accepted prime commodities of Indonesia such as coffee, mangosteen and zallaca. Indonesia hopes more commodities such as manggo, banana and pine apple would also be accepted.

President Joko Widodo called for attention to export of animal feed from waste of palm oil that has now been environmentally questioned. He also emphasized the importance of continuing efforts in managing oil palm plantation sustainably in Indonesia, adding that the country also has an interest to assure it is being done.

`Oil palm plantations involve 17 million people or three times the population of New Zealand. Half of the plantations belong to smallholders. Sustainability must be assured in line with the issue of small farmers` right to prosperity," he said.

With regard to tourism President Joko Widodi has urged for increasing air connectivity between the two countries.

"I wish to encourage increased air connectivity to boost tourist arrivals by increasing flight frequency between Auckland and Bali this year from three to five times," he said.

On geothermal energy development President Joko Widodo wished cooperation could be increased to investment cooperation. President Joko Widodo raised the same issue when he met with the governor and opposition party chief Simon Bridges.

"I hope geothermal cooperation could be improved to an investment cooperation and not only training," he said.

Prime Minister Arden conveyed New Zealand`s commitment to extend NZD4.5 million for three years to the Indonesia Red Cross for the disaster response cooperation and NZD3.5 million for the development of leadership for youths in Indonesia especially those in the eastern region.

President Joko Widodo hailed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Kalbe Farma and two New Zealand companies.

The MOU covers cooperation with Fonters in the development of nutrition product quality and cooperation in raw materials supply guarantee for nutritional products with Westland Milk Products.

At the start if the meeting Prime Minister Arden expressed appreciation to Indonesia for the partnership that has been built so far bilaterally and in the context of ASEAN. President Joko Widodo was in New Zealand for a state visit done in concurrence with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The visit was also made to return the visit of the New Zealand prime minister to Indonesia before.

"For the past 13 years no Indonesian president has visited New Zealand and it is time now for Indonesian president to visit to return the visit made the New Zealand prime minister before," he said.

Besides discussing economy the two leaders also discussed regional and international issues such as the development of the Korean Peninsula issue and situation in South China Sea and Rakhine State.

President Joko Widodo met with opposition leader Simon Brudges after meeting with Prime minister Arden.

Before leaving the Parliament Building President Joko Widodo greeted Indonesian citizens who had been waiting to see him outside the building and had his picture taken with them. 

At the Indonesia-New Zealand Business Forum in Auckland on March 16-18 the Indonesian business delegation promoted coffee, palm oil, renewable energy and employment service to buyers. A total of USD 9.7 million was collected from sales of Indonesian products at the event, of which USD6 million from coffee products. President Joko Widodo personally promoted Indonesian coffee before the New Zealand governor general, prime minister and cabinet ministers during lunch at Government House. (antara ) 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) arrived in New Zealand on Sunday for a state visit from Australia where he had earlier attended an ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. Deputy for protocol, press and media Bey Machmudin said in a statement President Jokowi and entourage departed from Australia`s Kingsford-Smith International Airport in Sydney at 17.37 hours local time or 13.37 hours West Indonesia Time.

New Zealand`s finance and also sports minister Grant Robertson, Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Tantowi Yahya and New Zealand`s Ambassador to Indonesia Trevor Mathedon welcomed their arrival.

President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana immediately proceeded to the hotel in Wellington where they would stay during the visit where hundreds of Indonesian citizens had been there to welcome them. The visit is a state visit to mark the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the two countries` diolomatic relations.

President Jokowi would meet with New Zealand`s prime minister and governor general as well as a number of CEOs in a budiness forum during the visit. On board the flght President Jokowi was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, coordinating minister for security, political and legal affairs Wiranto, minister/state secretary Pratikno, foreign minister Retno Marsudi and head of Capital Investment Coordinating Board Thomas Lembong. ( antara )

 President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) continues to promote the Indo-Pacific concept to the ASEAN member countries and Australia.

"President Jokowi is focusing on the importance of strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean based on the strong cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in Sydney on Sunday ( 18 March )

Retno said the importance of strong cooperation in the Indian Ocean was in line with the Indo-Pacific concept that Indonesia was developing. The Indonesian foreign minister revealed a number of points of discussion that were delivered by President Jokowi during the retreat of the ASEAN-Australia Summit 2018 on Sunday.

"Indonesia is currently in consultation with many countries including ASEAN to develop a transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific concept," she said.

Indonesia, she said, emphasized the development of habit of dialogue, habit of cooperation and respect for international law. She said that Indonesia was in consultation with ASEAN and will soon be hosting the "One and Half-Track Diplomacy" discussing the Indo-Pacific concept.

"We have talked to China, Japan, Russia, the United States and to Australia.The point is that what Indonesia is developing with other key players is a concept that puts the habit of dialogue and cooperation. It is not the habit of (unhealthy) competition, which could harm everyone or at least become a zero sum in the end," said Retno.

She said that what have been achieved such as stability, peace and prosperity by Indonesia and ASEAN over the last 50 years can be maintained in the future. 

"At this time, the concept being developed, or being discussed is related to the Indo-Pacific. Indonesia comes up with the concept that is being consulted to the key players so that it can commonly be shared. There should no single country which would feel being left behind Indonesia," said Retno. ( antara )

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that the partnership between ASEAN and Australia, including in the trade field, is mutually beneficial.

"ASEAN-Australia partnership should be able to become a model of economic cooperation which is mutually beneficial, a model of partnership that brings goodness to the world," President Jokowi said in his speech during a plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held at the Sydney International Convention Center (ICC),in Sydney, Sunday ( 18 March ).

The ASEAN-Australia economic cooperation also has strategic values, he added. The free trade agreements among the 10 ASEAN member countries, Australia and New Zealand have become the most advanced agreement for ASEAN.

"We have recorded that ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement has an average goods liberalization rate at 93.5 percent," he said.

Therefore, ASEAN-Australia must become a locomotive for free trade system which is open and fair in the region, and the system should be strengthened in wider regions. President Jokowi has urged that negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) should be completed this year. The RCEP is a commitment to mutually beneficial multilateral trade system. "Therefore, we must strengthen the commitment to finish the RCEP negotiations in 2018," Jokowi added.

The RCEP could become the world`s largest trade pact, because the RCEP represents nearly half of the world`s population, 31.6 percent of the global GDP, and 28.5 percent of the global trade.

"In future, ASEAN-Australia must continue to become an anchor for a free trade system which is open and fair for the prosperity and welfare of our people in the region," the President noted.

Themed "Enhancing Regional Security and Prosperity", the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held here, on March 16-19, 2018, discussed issues related to regional security, economic relations as well as counter-terrorism measures so as to further tighten the relationship between Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the stay in Australia, President Jokowi was flanked by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Lembong.

ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. ( antara )