VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Philippines have been established since 70 years ago. During this period, Indonesia and the Philippines have established close cooperation in maintaining regional stability and peace and establishing increasingly close and broad cooperation. In the trade sector, the value of Indonesia's trade in the Philippines in 2018 increased by 4 percent. This was conveyed by the Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Yembise, in her speech representing the Indonesian government at the 121st Philippine Independence Day reception and the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of Indonesia-Philippines Relations in Jakarta, Wednesday (18/06).

“I’m proud to share that in 2018 alone, we have enjoyed 4 percent increase in our bilateral trade value. In 2018, compared to the initial year a total of 7.78 billion US dollars. Tourism and investement cooperation have been also growing rapidly. And I am confident that this cooperation will never cease to grow in the coming years,” said Yohana.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leehiong T. Wee said Indonesia for the Philippines was more than a neighboring country. After the tsunami in Aceh in 2014, the Philippines was the first country to send humanitarian aid to Indonesia. Vice versa, when a typhoon struck the Philippines in 2013, Indonesia provided assistance for the rehabilitation in Marawi in the Southern Philippines. According to Leehiong T. Wee this shows the closeness between the two countries. (VOI / AHM)

East Java Governor Khofifah Indarparawangsa met President Joko Widodo on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta. After meeting the President, Khofifah explained that during the meeting, she reported two Drafts of Presidential Regulations which had been discussed between the East Java Provincial government and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Both drafts are related to Gresik – Bangkalan – Mojokerto – Surabaya – Sidoarjo – Lamongan (Gerbangkertasusila) and Suramadu projects. In the Presidential Decree on Gerbangkertasusila, Khofifah explained that the East Java Provincial Government plans to build a megapolitan area that connects a number of cities in East Java, namely Gresik, Bangkalan, Mojokerto, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Lamongan. To support the development of the megapolitan area, Khofifah emphasized the importance of the aspect of connectivity.

"Then in the drafts, we want to reinforce how the connection between Gerbangkertasusila is connected, including the seaport that exists at some point. Because seaport is in Lamong Bay besides Tanjung Perak. Then in Lamongan there is also in Probolinggo and it is connected to the toll road. So that's the reinforcement that we want to get," she said.

Meanwhile related to the Suramadu Presidential Decree, Governor Khofifah Indarparawangsa said that the East Java provincial government hoped that with the Suramadu bridge connecting Java and Madura Island, Madura Island could be utilized for industrial development. In addition, according to her, the East Java provincial government also hopes that in Madura, Indonesian Islamic Science Park can be built. The park is hoped to become the center of the spread of Islam which can unite Islam internationally and Wasathiyyah Islam.

"We want that at the foot of Madura there is Indonesia Islamic Science Park. It needs about 101 hectare o land, 20 percent for education, 30 percent for art, and 50 percent for tourism. We hope that the Indonesia Islamic Science Park will become an international center for Islamic dissemination with Wasattiyah Islam, midline Islam, peaceful Islam, loving Islam," Governor Khofifah said.

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In addition to being the center of the spread of Islamic teachings, Khofifah also wants the Indonesian Islamic Science Park in East Java to later become the center of world Islamic finance. (VOI/Ndy / AHM / EDT)

The governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, expressed pride over Jakarta becoming a host of the launch of the C40 Cities Climate Action Planning Program for the Southeast Asian region.

"I am truly proud, as Jakarta becomes a host for the launch of the C40 Cities Climate Action Planning Program for the Southeast Asian region. The activity is being held in Jakarta from today until tomorrow," Jakarta Governor Baswedan remarked at the launch of the C40 Cities Climate Action Planning Program for the Southeast Asia region at the Jakarta City Hall on Tuesday.

Being the host of this activity lends an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences among others.

Moreover, Baswedan, along with representatives of the five cities of Jakarta in Indonesia, Hanoi in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Quezon City in the Philippines, expressed joint commitment to fulfilling the Paris Agreement.

The five cities and 70 other cities, under the auspices of the C40, officially launched the C40 Climate Action Planning Program for the Southeast Asia Region.

Furthermore, Governor Baswedan highlighted the need to discuss varied challenges related to environmental issues encountered by the Jakarta government in a bid to find the best alternative solutions from different parts of the world.

"Our challenge today is how to ensure that economic development in Jakarta is also in line with ecology. This is since in the past, economy and ecology apparently worked hand in hand," he emphasized.

Some of these environmental issues comprise greenhouse gas emissions, the transition from private vehicles to public transportation, land subsidence, and water discharge from upstream areas. (ANTARA)

The Indian Embassy in Jakarta in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and the Borobudur Temple, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Tourism Park are to hold the 5th International Day of Yoga in the Prambanan Temple Complex, Yogyakarta, June 23, 2019. Besides in Yogyakarta, the celebration of International Yoga Day is also held in five popular tourist destinations in Indonesia, namely Bali, Makassar, Surabaya, Medan. In a press conference at the Indian Embassy, ​​Jakarta, Monday (17/06), Deputy Minister of Marketing Development II of the Ministry of Tourism, Nia Niscaya explained, yoga activities has become one of the attractions for foreign tourists from India to come to Indonesia especially to Prambanan Yogyakarta and Bali as favorite destinations for yoga festivals. Therefore Nia hopes that the holding of the International Yoga Festival at Prambanan Temple can increase the number of Indian foreign tourist visits to Indonesia which ranks second after China.

"Then, in terms of the Indian tourists coming to Indonesia, I (am) thankful to all the Indian tourists because the growth is the highest growth after China. So we got China first, and then India. In fact they are very lack of direct connectivity from India, even no more. But the growth even bigger and strongly increase," Nia Niscaya said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of India to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat said that the celebration of 2019 International Yoga Day has a very important meaning in improving India-Indonesia diplomatic relations which this year celebrate their 70th year. (VOI / AHM)