VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta, VOI News :  Australia has strong commitment to increase bilateral cooperation with Indonesia. There is an opportunity to do more, in the region’s interest, and in line with each government’s aspirations for future economic activity.

This was said by Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing of Australia, Senator Tim Ayres to Media at the event of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday (26/1).

“ But there are structural challenges that Australia and Indonesia face, and that the region faces, that require cooperation between us, and our business and investment communities to resolve.The environmental and economic impact of climate change on Australia and Southeast Asia creates an urgent imperative to decarbonise in the most efficient, low cost way possible. It is not just a decarbonisation challenge – it is a development challenge, shifting economies from developing low-income status to developed industrial high-income countries,” Tim Ayres pointed out.

Moreover, Senator Tim Ayres  has further explained that the challenge cannot be overcome with isolated public sector investment in regional economy by regional economy.  But Ayres has said that it requires bilateral and regional collective effort and partnership of the business and investment coming to face the challenge.

“Increasing food price volatility and a growing regional population means we need to realise gains in farm productivity through greater research and development in agricultural production, sustainability and food processing.All the region's nations have a role to play, supporting each other's development, resilience and sovereignty,” Tim Ayres conveyed.

He also stated that Australia and Indonesia must lead by  strengthening  bilateral relationship and by working together in the region. He said the  Southeast Asia Economic Strategy of Australia lays out a practical pathway to unlock two-way trade and investment opportunities until  2040 which is based on  existing trade agreements in the region, particularly the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA ). // VOI RRI / Australian Embassy in Jakarta //

VOINews.id: Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal explained about Minister of Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi reportedly 'walking out' at U.N. Headquarters in New York, United States. Previously, a video of Retno and the Indonesian delegation leaving the room during an open debate regarding the Palestinian-Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, Palestine on Tuesday (23/1/2024).​

Iqbal said that Retno and several Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries left the room when the permanent representative of Israel to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, delivered a statement. This also happened when Retno made a statement.

“Israel was not in the room when Indonesia and several OIC countries delivered statements. On the other hand, the Indonesian delegation and several OIC countries were also not in the room when the permanent representative of Israel delivered the statement," said Iqbal in a short message to journalists on Thursday (25/1/2024).

The open debate was opened by the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Erdan delivered a statement after the Palestinian statement, which was delivered directly by its minister of foreign affairs, Riyad al-Maliki.

Minister Retno Marsudi delivered a national statement regarding the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, after a presentation from the Norwegian representative. In the debate, the Indonesian Foreign Minister emphasized three stances, including the importance of creating an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

“Second, Palestine must be immediately accepted as a full member of the U.N., and third, stop arms supplies to Israel. Every weapon sent to Israel can be used to kill innocent civilians," said Retno in a press conference held after the meeting. (rri.co.id)

FILE PHOTO: A logo of Publicis Groupe is seen at its exhibition space, at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Publicis, the world's largest advertising group by market value, said on Thursday it will invest 300 million euros ($326.94 million) in artificial intelligence (AI) over the next three years, as part of its new plan to become "the industry's first AI-powered intelligent system".

The group said in a film presentation - ahead of it annual results publication in February - that it will invest 100 million euros in 2024 alone, fully funded by "internal efficiencies" and with no dilutive impact on its operating margin.

The maker of the Heineken and Barilla pasta campaigns reported in its presentation organic growth in 2023 of 6.3 per cent, exceeding the 5.5 per cent to 6 per cent guidance range shared in October.

"In terms of strategy, it was important for us to show the financial market that we were starting from a position of strength," said CEO Arthur Sadoun in a press conference, regarding the early figure.

Publicis said in its presentation that it plans to integrate AI further into its current platform model, connecting every individual in the company to an entity called "CoreAI", that the group started engineering in the second half of 2023, to start implementing it in the first half of 2024.

"CoreAI is based on the data we have acquired, but also the one that we have built over this past decade," Sadoun said.

Half of the 2024 investment will be focused on upskilling and training people as well as recruitment, while the other half will be dedicated to tech, licences, software and cloud infrastructure.

Asked about prospective acquisitions, Sadoun answered, "our transformation is behind us", adding that the group will now focus on lesser investments in tech, IP and talent.

Publicis' recent strong performance runs counter to a general slowdown in the advertising industry, seen as a bellwether for broader economic health//VOI

File - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf/YU) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan denied that mining industry downstream projects in the country were dominated by foreign workers.

"The number of foreign workers is now only around 10-15 percent," he stated in a video on his Instagram account on Wednesday.

Those foreign workers were needed during the initial stage of mining operations, he explained.

"We did not have the quality of human resources to do it at that time," he said.

Nevertheless, he ensured that the number of foreign workers would decline as more local human resources were being trained for the downstream industry.

"Now, in stages, the percentage is declining because there have been many people that we have trained. That is a process that we must go through," he explained.

Pandjaitan said that a metal industry polytechnic had also been established in Morowali District, Central Sulawesi, in order to create a competent industrial workforce. He also stated that several students of the polytechnic were sent to learn in China, and currently, those students have become part of a smelter construction project in Sulawesi.

"A polytechnic has been established there. I think it is good, and the lecturers are high-class. There are some from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the University of Indonesia (UI) that we invite to teach there," he remarked//ANT-VOI