VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Iran uses the nuclear issue in an effort to reduce pressure and sanctions from the United States. Tehran has threatened to reverse its nuclear program as before, before the 2015 nuclear agreement. The Iranian Atomic Energy Agency said it would reverse its nuclear program if the United States and its Allies were unable to find a way out to reduce pressure and sanctions imposed by the United States. A spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency Behrouz Kamalvandi, as reported by the official Iranian news agency IRNA, expressed the threat  in the hope of encouraging diplomatic efforts. Tehran sees the need for diplomatic measures to overcome tensions, in particular relations with the United States, to avoid economic sanctions. As is known, after last year President Donald Trump declared his exit from the 2015 Nuclear Agreement, Washington has imposed more severe sanctions on Iran. If the threat of the Iranian Atomic Agency is realized, then the country will gradually produce nuclear exceeding the minimum agreed on 4 years ago, which is above 300 kilograms of its uranium reserves. Iran's threat to return to nuclear production as it did before the 4-year agreement came as a Beijing statement condemned Washington's policies. In his diplomatic statement in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused the United States of being the cause of the emergence of the Iranian threat. To reporters in Beijing on July 8, Geng Shuang said that Iran's nuclear crisis was caused by pressure by the United States. Although criticizing the United States, on the other hand Beijing also regretted Tehran's decision to return to nuclear production before the 2015 agreement. China is one of the countries that signed the Nuclear agreement carried out during the administration of Barack Obama. Iran's statement to no longer comply with the 2015 agreement was also addressed by European countries. Foreign Ministers of European countries specifically discussed the crisis of Iran's nuclear agreement at their meeting in Brussels on July 15. The statement of the PRC Government and the reaction of European countries, shows that Tehran's move to play a nuclear issue to open diplomatic avenues, has quite an impact. Although the United States itself has not shown any reactions  towards this latest development.

President Joko Widodo delivered his first political speech since being elected President in the 2019 Presidential Elections. This speech was delivered at the Indonesia’s Vision event which took place at Sentul International Convention Center in Bogor, West Java on Sunday night (07/14/2019).In his speech, President Joko Widodo said that nowadays, humans live in a very dynamic global environment. So, he appealed to the Indonesian people to create innovation and abandon old ways, both in managing organizations, institutions, and in managing the government. According to him, Indonesia must become a country that is more productive, competitive and flexible in facing these changes. To this end, he emphasized several major stages, including infrastructure development, human resources, opening widest investment to create employment, reforming the bureaucracy, and guaranteeing the use of the state budget which is focused and targeted.In the first period of President Joko Widodo serving as President, infrastructure development was one of his priorities because it was related to his Nawacita program, namely building Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages.By improving the human resources, he pointed out in his political speech that human resource development must be carried out by ensuring the health of pregnant women, infant health, toddler health, and health of school-age children because it is the golden age to produce superior Indonesian people in the future.The investment sector is also an important stage. By attracting a lot of foreign investors and streamlining complicated licenses, hopefully, this can open employment opportunities to a great extent for the people of Indonesia.In the field of bureaucratic reform, President Joko Widodo ensured that there are no more complicated bureaucratic services. Because according to him, the speed of serving, and the speed of giving permit are the keys to bureaucratic reform.The final stage in his speech is a guarantee in using the focused and targeted state budget so as to have benefits and improve welfare for the people.President Joko Widodo’s political speech, ‘Indonesia's vision’ shows his seriousness in resolving problems and tasks that must be completed in the second period of his leadership. Hopefully, all the hopes and visions that have been affirmed in his speech can be realized towards a more advanced and prosperous Indonesia.

President Joko Widodo claimed that he would actively present creative products of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises  to global markets amid sluggish economic conditions. After opening the Indonesian Creative Works exhibition held by Bank Indonesia at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Jakarta on Friday (12/7), President Joko Widodo said that this should be done so that Indonesia would still be able to take advantage of its exports. He viewed that the condition of the global economy and market is not indeed conducive. This makes the trade performance for a number of countries  slow down, including Indonesia, especially for products that are mass-produced by mainstream industries. Even so, he said that the opportunity for Indonesia to gain export profits is still possible. Providing that Indonesia enters the international market through creative economic products, such as handicrafts produced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Amid the sluggish global economy and trade war, President Joko Widodo assessed that Indonesia needs to rely on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ products to be exported in addition to labor-intensive products that are commonly exported on a large scale. Moreover, Indonesian handicraft products are known to have premium quality to compete in the international arena. President Joko Widodo also appreciated Bank Indonesia –BI to have fostered hundreds of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to produce several superior products. He is optimistic that with the distinctive Indonesian character inherent in every Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise that produces their products, there are increasingly open market opportunities abroad. Meanwhile, Governor of BI, Perry Warjiyo said that until this year, his side has built almost 900  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises throughout Indonesia and some have gone digital to sell their products, both through social media and e-commerce.  Several of them have even managed to penetrate the international market. The Indonesian Creative Works 2019 exhibition with the theme,  “Encouraging Economic Growth through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Go Export and Go Digital” took place at the JCC, Jakarta from 12 to 14 July 2019.

Banjarmasin, Indonesia and Penang, Malaysia explore cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, event tourism, medication and industry. The signing of the cooperation was conducted by Mayor of Banjarmasin, Ibnu Sina and his counterpart from Penang, Mayor Dato’ Ar Yew Tung Seang, on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) & Mayors’ Forum in Queensland, Australia on July 8-10. On the occasion, both mayors shared information related with planned cooperation.

Singaporean President, Halimah Yacob handed over award to the mainstay caretaker of National Quartir of the Indonesian Scout Movement, Brata Tryana Hardjosubroto. President Halimah Yacob as Chief Scout of Singaporean Scout Association pinned the award "Distinguished Service Award". The innauguration of the award was conducted at the presidential Palace of Singapore on Wednesday (10/7). She handed over the award to 40 persons, including two foreigners namely Brata from Indonesia and Haji Yaacob bin Abdul Karim from Malaysia.

To follow up cooperation in the field of education, research and service to community, Rector of Riau Islamic University, Prof. Syafrinaldi along with four other lecturers became guest lecturers at University of Saint Anthony (USANT) of the Philippines on July 9-12, 2019. The event is a follow-up of Riau Islamic University and University of Saint Anthony in the field of education, research and service to community, knowledge and technology, as well as human resoreces. TheMemorandum of Understanding -MoU of the cooperation was signed by the two rectors in April 2019. In additional to giving a public lecture, President ofUniversity of Saint Anthony, Atty Santiago D. Ortega also asked Rector Syafrinaldi to plant tree at campus’ yard of the university as a symbol of strengthening of academic relations of both universities.