VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The European Union’s Black campaign which discriminate palm oil commodity has become focus of attention in a billateral meeting between Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi and her Malaysian counterpart, Saifuddin Abdullah. After the meeting which was held at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, on Monday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi told the media that Indonesia and Malaysia will continue cooperating although the trialog process between the two countries and the European Union has been done. In addition, the minister also states that the two countries has sent an official letter to the European Union to respond to the trialog process.

"For the palm oil, the trialog process has been done but we still need to continue cooperating for the post-trialog. I said that I have sent the letter to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the European Union and he said that he would send his letter to respond this trialog process. Therefore, he also conveys to the President that Indonesia and Malaysia do not have other choice besides cooperating firmly to respond the negative campaign of the palm oil," said Retno Marsudi.

Formerly, Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammad said to President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, that Malaysia and Indonesia needed to cooperate to fight for the palm oil because the European accusation that the production has damaged the environment was not true. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad believes that the reason why Europe commits the negative campaign towards the palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia  tends to business motive only. However, all the reason that is conveyed is always about the problem of environment which has been contradicted by various researches done by Indonesia and Malaysia. Related to the environment issue and the palm oil, Indonesia is one of the members of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that is formed in 2004. RSPO contributes to inform the eternal palm oil and cercitication system of the palm oil. Indonesia is committed to European Union through the European sustainable palm oil project in 2015. The project was held to help increasing the obedience towards certification standard which is suitable with RSPO definition (VOI/Rezha/AHM)