VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has invited Australia to cooperate in developing renewable energy and work hand-in-hand in conserving the environment. "We must work hand-in-hand to conserve nature, implement sustainable development, reforestation (barren land) and the upper reaches of rivers, prevent land and forest fires, commit ourselves to reduce carbon emissions, and develop renewable energy and other green technology," he said at the Australian Parliament building in Canberra Monday.

For 16 minutes, Jokowi delivered his address in the Indonesian language before the two camps of the Australian Parliament, namely the coalition of the Liberal Party and the coalition of the Labor Party.

Earlier, chief of the Liberal Party concurrently Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and chief of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, also delivered their addresses on Indonesia and President Jokowi's profile.

Jokowi is the 12th head of state in Australian history to speak before parliament and the first head of state to speak this year.

"On February 2, one platoon of engineers from TNI (the Indonesian military) and personnel from the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) left Indonesia for New South Wales. They worked hand-in-hand with the Australian people to handle forest fires in Australia while at the same time an Indonesia-Australia team discussed a cooperation agreement to modify the weather," he said.

Indonesia's plan to develop a new capital city is also part of this commitment, he said.

"That is a smart city, smart metropolitan, green technology harmonious with the environment and a part of innovation, knowledge and technology-based economic transformation efforts," he said.

The President also expected Indonesia and Australia to serve as anchors for development partners in the Pacific region.

"Indonesia is aware of development challenges in the Pacific region as a fellow maritime state. The challenges faced by Indonesia are not very different from those faced by Pacific countries," he said.

Climate change, natural disasters and equal distribution of social, educational, medical gains, as well as human resource development, are the real challenges facing Pacific countries, he noted

"Indonesia and Australia should become genuine friends for Pacific countries. They should collaborate as development partners, mitigate the impact of climate change, lower the poverty rate and the social gap, and create new economic growth centers in the Pacific region," Jokowi said. (ANTARA)