VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo in Jakarta, Saturday (4/8). During the meeting which lasted for approximately 30 minutes, the two Foreign Ministers discuss various issues related to bilateral relations between the two countries as well as regional and global issues. One of them is the issue related to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Through a press statement, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said many parties including Indonesia appreciated the positive steps taken by North Korea and the US to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

“We are talking about issues of North Korea especially in the context of how to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear. The topic of the Korean Peninsula appeared in several meetings in ASEAN. There also emerged several elements, such as an element of good welcome from all parties in the meeting, and positive steps. There are two things of positive steps, namely two Inter-Korean meetings and a meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim, in Singapore,” Retno Marsudi said.

Foreign Minister Retno furthermore said that all parties involved in the meeting hoped that denuclearization and peace efforts involving two Korean countries, namely South Korea and South Korea as well as the United States, can run well. During the time, the development of the peace process between North Korea and South Korea and the US continues to show positive improvement. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) currently reported that North Korea had begun a process to reduce tensions, and build trust with South Korea and the US. (VOI/Rezha/Trs.N)

The Indonesian Minister Retno Marsudi reiterated that the two state solutions is the only solution to achieve peace in Palestine. This was stated by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at a bilateral meeting with the United States Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo in Jakarta, Saturday (4/8). According to a press statement given by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the US State Secretary Pompeo did not reject the two-state solution offered by Indonesia. However, it is needed time to compile a peace plan regarding the Palestinian issue.

“He stated that of course the Palestinian situation is not an easy situation. But when I mentioned the two state solutions I saw he agreed the two state solutions is the answer or the only solution. So he did not reject the two state solution policy. However he said that it still need time to make a peace plan on the Palestinian issue,” Retno Marsudi said.

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also emphasized to the State Secretary Michael Richard Pompeo that the community and Indonesian Government had great attention and support for the realization of peace in Palestine, especially through the two-state solution. The two state solutions was built especially to reach an independent Palestinian state and decided Israeli region on the west of Jordan River. The solution was determined by the UN General Assembly resolution 194 adopted on December 11, 1948. In addition to the two-state solution, the resolution 194 also stipulates the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their hometown which currently occupied by Israel. Regarding efforts to achieve peace in Palestine, the US President Donald Trump has formed a special team to draft peace proposals between Palestine and Israel. According to President Trump, the peace plan will be an important history, as the "Agreement of the Century". (VOI/Rezha/NT)

The US State Secretary Michael Richard Pompeo on Saturday (4/8) visited Indonesia for a bilateral visit. The state visit is part of a series of bilateral visits of the US State Secretary to Southeast Asia. Arriving in Jakarta, Michael Richard Pompeo who was accompanied by several delegates directly came to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold a meeting with the Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the 70th anniversary of Indonesia-US diplomatic relations next-year was discussed at the meeting which lasted for approximately 30 minutes. In particular, the theme proposed by Indonesia for the commemoration is 'Celebrate Our Diversity Prosper Together as Strategic Partner'.

“Next year Indonesia and the United States will celebrate their 70th diplomatic relations. I’ve said earlier that for next year's commemoration, the theme proposed by Indonesia is “Celebrate our Diversity, Prosper Together as Strategic Partners”. Indonesia and the United States are partners in developing the values ​​of democracy, pluralism and tolerance, Indonesia as the world's most populous Muslim country, as the third largest democracy country in the world and one of the 20 countries with the largest GDP, certainly has a strategic position in the international relations,” Retno Marsudi said.

On the same occasion Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also said that ASEAN-US economic relations would benefit both parties. The relationship is mainly in the field of trade and investment. The annual economic growth of ASEAN countries is still more than five percent. Therefore, according to Retno Marsudi ASEAN has considerable potential and capacity, so that ASEAN's trade and investment relations with the US will benefit both parties. On the occasion, Retno Marsudi also told Richard Pompeo on ASEAN-US trade data for the past 10 years. In the past 10 years, US exports to ASEAN have shown a fairly good increase. US investment in ASEAN is the fourth largest, while the figure of ASEAN investment in the US is also quite large. (VOI/Rezha/NT)

President Joko Widodo encouraged the domestic automotive industry to continue to work hard and spawn innovation. He hopes the Indonesian automotive market can be controlled by the domestic automotive industry.

"Do not let our large country market be controlled by imported cars. It must be controlled by cars produced in our own country," the president said after reviewing the 2018 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show at ICE BSD City on Thursday. August 2, 2018.

To realize this, the committed government will continue to support and assist the national automotive industry. One of them was when the President met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to resolve the problem of Indonesia's automotive production exports to Vietnam.

"Yesterday I met with the Prime Minister of Vietnam, I said bluntly about the obstacles to our automotive exports. It turned out that it could be resolved. If there are more problems, I will discuss again with the Vietnamese Prime Minister," he said.

In addition, the government is also preparing various incentives for the national automotive industry. A number of tax breaks are being considered for the automotive industry that invests in activities such as vocational training for workers and others.

"Including tax holidays that are much more aggressive, tax allowances, and those under study, super deductions, for taxes where company costs for activities such as vocational training can be cut 200 percent of taxable income. This will be huge but still in a study at the Minister of Finance, "he said.

Regarding innovation, the President said that currently Indonesia needs an innovation in the form of implementing 20 percent biodiesel or B20 by bringing more environmentally friendly vehicles. Some countries are said to have succeeded in implementing such a policy.

"Brazil in 1970 was able to implement a 100 percent bioethanol vehicle made from local sugar cane products. How come we who have millions of tons of oil palm production cannot solve this?" the President said.

With the implementation of B20, the government has calculated foreign exchange savings of almost USD6 billion. In addition, the price of Indonesian palm oil will also be raised to USD100 per ton.

"The price of crude oil is USD70 per barrel and assuming an increase in the absorption of biodiesel will raise the price of palm oil to USD100 per ton. This is a huge jump. If we can implement it, the country will save foreign exchange of USD5.98 billion so we will concentrate there so this process will follow me continuously, "he said. ( biro pers )