Jakarta (VOI News) - Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade-FLEGT agreed by Indonesia and the United Kingdom in 2019 will not change after the UK officially renounced EU membership. The British ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Owen Jenkins stated at a press conference on Friday, January 31, 2020, at the British Embassy, Jakarta.

“Indonesia has made amazing progress in becoming the only country in the world which can export its timber to the EU without due diligence. And we'll continue to be the place for the UK after Brexit. So FLEGT will continue doing on the augmentation period and off to the bilateral agreement. So in terms of trade for Indonesian importers and exporters that use the agreement, it won't change,” Owen Jenkins said.

The signing of the FLEGT agreement between Indonesia and the United Kingdom is a tangible manifestation of the anticipation and concern of the Indonesian Government to ensure that the business sector in the timber sector in Indonesia will not experience trade barriers as a result of the enactment of Brexit. (VOI/NK/trans by PUTRI)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Indonesia has a lot of potentials to invest, one of which is the financial sector. This was affirmed by the British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Owen Jenkins at a press conference at the British Embassy in Jakarta, Friday (31/01/2020)

“I think the financial sector is important. President Jokowi has been very clear that Indonesia wants more foreign investment, wants to attract more foreign investment. London is one of the world’s global centers for mobilizing finance, and I think it will be really ashamed if we don't manage to strengthen relations in that area, including drawing on London's real strength in great finance and Islamic finance. That’s the biggest center international finance outside the Islamic world itself,” said Ambassador Jenkins.

Ambassador Jenkins added that the UK also wants to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector because British citizens ate the biggest contributors to Indonesia's foreign exchange in the tourism sector compared to South Korea and China. (VOI / NK / AHM)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FCPI) held a panel discussion on Friday (31 Jan) on Climate diplomacy. The panel also discussed whether the disappointment of the COP (Conference of Parties) 25 in Madrid will turn into progress at the COP-26 to be held in November 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. The panel consisted of Co-Lead Negotiator for Article 6 of Paris Agreement Moekti Handajani Soejachmoen, Director for Development, Economic and Environmental Affairs Agustaviano Sofjan, Senior Economist and Research Associate of World Research Institute (WRI) Indonesia Sonny Mumbunan and the Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam H.E Vincent Piket. The panel was moderated by Dr. Dino Patti Djalal the founder of FCPI. Director Agustaviano was very optimistic about Indonesia’s plan for its NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) target and says the country is very vulnerable to climate change and hence it is very committed to the Paris agreement.

“For Indonesia, I think we are still committed to our commitment to the Paris Agreement. And that's why Indonesia's NDC target is 29% and 41% if supported by International, by 2030. For Indonesia, we have already our indices and we are going to be committed to that. It is ambitious, yes, but we need to set the standards. For Indonesia, we are committed. For, Indonesia is an archipelago state with the coastline which is the second-longest coastline in the world. We are vulnerable to climate change. If there is sea-level rise, it will affect the coastal people. It will affect their livelihoods. That's why we are committed to trying to tackle climate change,” said Agustaviano.

The COP-25 at Madrid drew a lot of criticism for not coming to an agreement about Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Article 6 of the Paris Agreement aims at promoting integrated, holistic and balanced approaches that will assist governments in implementing their NDCs through voluntary international cooperation. Further according to the ICC, under this mechanism, countries with low emissions would be allowed to sell their exceeding allowance to larger emitters, with an overall cap of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ensuring their net reduction. Supply and demand for emissions allowances would lead to the establishment of a global carbon price.

It is hoped that the COP-26, which is to be held in Glasgow later this year, would make up for disappointing lack of commitment shown by the participants in COP-25. (VOI/SAYEE SHREE L.R/AHM)

Batam, Riau Islands - The chartered Batik Air plane carrying 245 Indonesians from Wuhan city, China, has arrived at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Riau Islands at 8.45 a.m. on Sunday.

All the passengers would be flown to Natuna Islands where they will be quarantined.

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has prepared three planes to carry the Indonesians to Natuna.

Chief of the Operations Division of the Hang Nadim Airbase Major Lek Wardoyo said on Saturday, the Indonesian Air Force readied two Boeing planes and one Hercules plane to help evacuate the Indonesians who have just returned from Wuhan.

The Hercules plane has a seating capacity of 100 to 130 people, while the Boeing planes have room for 100 people each. The planes will be staffed with medical workers, he noted.

He added that the Indonesians will be flown to Natuna aboard the three planes, shortly after arriving from Wuhan.

It takes one hour 20 minutes to fly from Batam to Natuna.

Chief of the Batam Port Health Office, I Achmad Farchanny, said it will take a maximum of one hour for the Indonesians to change flights at Hang Nadim Airport.

"We will try to do it as quickly as possible, one hour at the most," he said.

All the passengers from Wuhan will have their temperatures and health checked aboard the plane carrying them from Wuhan, he said.

If any passengers are showing symptoms of coronavirus, they will be isolated from the others.

The government has assigned Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital to be a referral hospital to treat patients infected with coronavirus. (ANTARA)