VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto met World Economic Forum (WEF) president Børge Brende on the sidelines of the WEF event in Davos, Switzerland.

The ministers discussed several things with Brende regarding food security, economic recovery, and the new Indonesian capital, Nusantara.

"The WEF president expressed his opinion on the importance of food security and on the protection of food raw materials," Kartasasmita informed in a statement received here on Monday.

Furthermore, the meeting also discussed efforts to achieve Indonesia's net-zero carbon target.

"The WEF president said that Indonesia's potential to develop renewable energy needs to be strengthened, although a large budget is necessary to shift from fossil energy to new renewable energy," Kartasasmita said.

The meeting also discussed Indonesia's plan for developing Nusantara.

According to Kartasasmita, Brende saw the new capital as an effort to equalize the economy.

The WEF considers Indonesia as very successful in reducing its Gini ratio, which is an indicator of social inequality, the Industry Minister added.

"We also invite the forum to collaborate in an inclusive global economic recovery effort," Kartasasmita said.

The global economic recovery effort is related to the WEF's Global Risk Report 2022, which stated that about 84.2 percent of respondents were worried about the world's future direction.

As part of its G20 Presidency, Indonesia is striving to ensure the grouping's important role in addressing these concerns by serving as a catalyst for an inclusive global economic recovery.

According to Kartasasmita, this can be achieved through collaboration on developing a sustainable manufacturing industry, especially the development of human resource competencies and the application of Industrial 4.0 technology.

At the close of the meeting, the Indonesian government invited the WEF to continue discussions in a follow-up meeting in Jakarta.  (Antaranews)