VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI News : Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi attended the 3rd Indo-Pacific European Union Ministerial Forum meeting in Brussels, Belgium. In her speech, she highlighted the challenges facing the world from year to year, which are getting bigger starting from the war in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, ongoing great power rivalry to capacity gaps among countries that hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

She also affirmed the importance of the forum to strengthen collaboration, cooperation and partnerships to advance prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Minister Retno remarked that Indonesia had made these efforts in its ASEAN Chair last year, including through holding the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) and strengthening relations with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Association of Indian Ocean Rim Countries (IORA).

“ We don't want to see the Indo-Pacific region become a field of rivalry. What we want is the Indo-Pacific as a growth center,” Minister Retno conveyed.

On that occasion, Minister Retno further affirmed that cooperation in the Indo-Pacific must be inclusive, concrete, and adhere firmly to international law and collaboration paradigms.  These principles are contained in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as a guide of ASEAN in navigating dynamics in the region and interacting with its partners from outside the region. 

She perceived that the European Union as a partner of Indonesia and ASEAN plays an important role in realizing a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. (VOI-Ndy-Mar- AF)

Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Morocco hold abundant historical romantic values. A number of facts regarding bilateral relations between the two friendly countries are always fascinating. The Indonesian Ambassador to Morocco, Hasrul Azwar, in the special interview which was broadcast on the Voice of Indonesia YouTube channel on Monday (29/01) conveyed a number of important notes that underlie the friendship between the two countries.

Firstly, Ambassador Hasrul Azwar said, long before the inauguration of diplomatic relations, Indonesia was known by Moroccan people since 1346 AD through the expedition of the great Moroccan explorer named Ibnu Battuta (d. 1369 AD). The prominent sailor wrote in his book entitled Rehla Ibnu Battuta's, about his historic journey from Morocco to Egypt, Syria, India, China until he landed in Aceh. In which Battuta described the existence of an Islamic Kingdom, namely Samudera Pasai, which worshiped the Almighty Allah. Today, we can find the tomb of famous Muslim sailors located in the city of Tangier, a seaside city across Spain. So, it can be concluded that Moroccans were the first to visit Indonesia at that time.

Secondly, Hasrul Azwar continued that President Soekarno enjoyed a noble position in the eyes of the Moroccan people. Sukarno is considered a world revolutionary figure who was able to gather the forces of Asia and Africa to stand up against colonialism, culminating in the Asian-African Conference (KAA) in 1955 in Bandung. A year later, on March 2, 1956, Morocco successfully gained its independence from France. President Soekarno welcomed Morocco's independence by paying a state visit to this North African country. His visit marks the first foreign head of state to come to the newly independent Morocco. The King of Morocco memorialized this historical visit by naming one of the main streets in the city of Rabat after the first President of Indonesia, namely Syari' al-Rais Ahmed Soekarno, now Rue Soekarno. In addition, Morocco also eternalizes its friendships to Indonesia through the naming of other streets after Indonesia, Jakarta and Bandung.

Thirdly, Hasrul Azwar added, the friendship between Indonesia and Morocco is also clearly visible in consular policies between the two countries. King Mohammed V presented a special complement for Soekarno's visit in the form of visa exemptions for Indonesian citizens visiting Morocco. Amazingly, this privilege is still valid today. It is known that Indonesian citizens can visit Morocco without a visa for a period of three months or 90 days.

Fourthly, according to Hasrul Azwar, bilateral relations between Indonesia and Morocco are supported by several nodes of cultural ties and international cooperation. Apart from the majority of people in both countries being Muslim, Indonesian and Moroccan Muslims are also adherents of Ahlussunnah wal Jama'ah (Sunni Muslims). Both Indonesia and Morocco are members of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and both countries are active in the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), a UNESCO-like organization initiated by Islamic countries.

Fifthly, Indonesia and Morocco have raised the status of bilateral relations to strategic partnership since December 2023. Ambassador Hasrul Azwar further explained that Indonesia's strategic position as one of the founders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is deemed significant in Morocco’s perspective. Since ASEAN's chairmanship in 2023, Indonesia fully supports Morocco as an ASEAN dialogue partner, on the other hand, Morocco has become an important hub for Indonesian products in efforts to penetrate African and European markets.

Deputy of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti presenting her remarks at the 2023 Indonesia Economic Report launch event in Jakarta, Wednesday (January 31, 2024). ANTARA/Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak/nbl - 

Voinews, Jakarta - The Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) projected that Indonesia's economy in 2024 would grow better than in 2023 despite the trend of slowdown in the global economy.

"Several international agencies have stated that Indonesia's economy, amidst the ongoing global economic slowdown, is projected to grow stronger than in 2023," the ministry's Deputy of Economic Affairs, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, stated during the 2023 Indonesia Economic Report's launch agenda here, Wednesday (January 31).

The Indonesian government targets the national economy in 2024 to grow by 5.3 percent, higher than the 2023 economic growth projection set at 5.1 percent.

She affirmed that Indonesia has a solid foundation to develop a stronger economy in 2024 despite uncertainty looming over the global economy and its divergence that is expected to continue in the upcoming years.

The official pointed out that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) also forecast Indonesia's economy in 2024 to grow better than last year.

"This is a positive sign that the global community believed that Indonesia can recover and maintain its economic growth in the five-percent range, returning to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic growth level," Amalia noted.

Meanwhile, Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) Perry Warjiyo highlighted the need to remain vigilant while being optimistic in 2024 as well as to enhance synergy between economic policies and efforts to strengthen national economic resilience in 2024.

The central bank projected Indonesia's economy in 2024 to grow by 4.7 to 5.5 percent, provided that internal and external economic stability are preserved.

Warjiyo is also optimistic that inflation would be manageable to the expected target of 2.5 percent, give or take one percent; banking credit would grow by 10-12 percent; and the exchange rate of the rupiah would improve in 2024//ANT-VOI

VOInews, Jakarta: The Overseas Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) in Singapore went directly to residential areas of Indonesian citizens (WNI) in the country to socialize the rules that apply so that the general election runs orderly and peacefully.

"What we often do is direct socialization down to the pockets of the community," Panwaslu Singapore Chairperson Nandha Handharu told ANTARA on Thursday (1/2/2024).

Nandha Handharu also said that Panwaslu always prioritizes socialization about the rules and prohibitions in elections, both those that apply in Indonesia and in Singapore, so that Indonesian citizens there do not violate election rules and Singapore government rules and participate in elections peacefully.

"For example, it is prohibited to document (voting in the voting booth), prohibited to campaign outside the campaign time, prohibited to campaign in places of worship, in government places. Then, about the neutrality of ASN, members of the TNI, Polri, and so on," he said.

Meanwhile, Nandha said that in Singapore, there are 106,515 people registered in the Permanent Voters List (DPT) to take part in the vote which will be held on February 11, 2024.

"In Singapore's regulations, there is a Public Order Act, which prohibits every citizen from voicing their political aspirations without permission from the local government," said Nandha.

Meanwhile, Nandha said that in Singapore, there are 106,515 people registered in the Permanent Voters List (DPT) to take part in the vote which will be held on February 11, 2024.

ANTARA