VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Indonesia, Rob Swartbol met at Raffles Hotel in Jakarta on Wednesday (20/2) to discuss issues related to maritime cooperation on Bilateral Maritime Forum. In his opening remarks, Minister Luhut said that Indonesia has cooperated with many countries to emphasize different cooperation in each form.

“Indonesian maritime diplomacy is prepared to provide an outline of Indonesian maritime  vision to respond international challenges and related issues. This becomes an integral part of Indonesian foreign policy. Indonesian direction for greater cooperation is through not only multilateral forum but also bilateral challenges. As one of the implementations of the maritime diplomacy, the bilateral forum coordinated by the Coordinating Maritime affairs has form a bilateral cooperation from several countries, such as the USA, the Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. They emphasize different cooperation in each forum. As we are all aware that Indonesia and the Netherlands join in equal, mutual and beneficial partnership. Indonesian participation in IORA is also encouraged to promote technical assistance, capacity building and exchange of information and science," said Luhut.

Minister Luhut added that number of follow-up cooperation in priority area has increased, including cooperation in maritime sector, such as the establishment of the bilateral Maritime Forum 2016.  The MoU in Maritime Cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands was signed in 2016. On the occasion, President Joko Widodo made a visit to the Netherlands. The major role of maritime development of the two countries serves as the basis of the MoU. (VOI/NK/RHM)