VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo meets with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday morning (10/1/2024) at Malacanang Palace, Philippines.(Photo: Screenshot of RTVMalacanang YouTube LIVE Broadcast)

VOInews, Jakarta: President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo met with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday morning (10/1/2024) at Malacanang Palace, Philippines in the framework of bilateral meetings between the two countries. In his official statement, President Joko Widodo said Indonesia and the Philippines agreed to strengthen border cooperation and discussed the importance of revising border patrol agreements and cross-border agreements.

"In the field of politics and security, we agreed to strengthen border cooperation and I have conveyed, the importance of encouraging the acceleration of revisions of border patrol agreements and border crossing agreements and the completion of the contiguous shelf boundary as well as strengthening defense cooperation including strengthening defense equipment," President Joko Widodo said in an official statement broadcast live on the RTVMalacanang YouTube account, which was monitored from Jakarta, Wednesday (10/1/2024).

Regarding economic cooperation, President Joko Widodo said the two countries agreed to continue to open market access and safety measures related to Indonesian coffee products.

"To increase trade, we agreed to continue to open market access and Indonesia asked for Philippine support related to special safeguard measures for Indonesian coffee products," President Joko Widodo said.

President Joko Widodo also appreciated the Philippines' trust in Indonesian SOEs in building important infrastructure in the Philippines.

"I appreciate the Philippines' trust in Indonesian SOEs in building important infrastructure in the Philippines and the Groundbreaking of the North-South Commuter Rail Project is important to be accelerated," he continued.

Furthermore, on regional cooperation, President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia and the Philippines see the importance of strengthening the unity and centrality of ASEAN and must uphold the principles of international law and maintain a positive image for peace, stability and prosperity.

Mahendra Siregar during a press briefing held by the Commissioners of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) Mahendra Siregar said that the stability of the national financial services sector is well maintained, supported by strong capital, adequate liquidity, maintained risk profile, so that it is expected to be able to face the potential slowdown in global economic growth.

Mahendra at the Services Sector Assessment Press Conference OJK Finance and Policy Results of the December 2023 Monthly Board of Commissioners (RDK) Meeting which was held virtually in Jakarta on Tuesday explained, Economic indicators show moderation in economic growth in several countries, especially in the European Union and China. 
 
"Slowing economic growth pushed inflation down closer to the inflation target, thereby providing room for the central bank to be more accommodative. In the US, the Fed indicated that it would reduce the policy interest rate by 75 bps in 2024 with the market assessing that the US economy is still quite resilient and is not expected to experience a recession", Mahendra Siregar said. 
 
According to Mahendra, the market is still paying close attention to future geopolitical developments, such as the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea as a result of the Palestine-Israel conflict, as well as the holding of general elections covering 50 percent of the world's population, especially in several major countries such as the US, European Union, India and Taiwan.

He added that, in general, sentiment on global financial markets tends to be positive in December 2023//VOI

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi meets with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique A. Manalo ahead of Indonesian President Joko Widodo's meeting with Philippine President Marcos Jr. at the 7th JCBC on Tuesday (9/1/2024) in Manila, Philippines. (Photo: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia should utilize the moment of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) Meeting to strengthen Indonesia's bilateral relations with the Philippines. She said this during a meeting with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique A. Manalo ahead of Indonesian President Joko Widodo's meeting with Philippine President Marcos Jr. at the 7th JCBC in Manila, Philippines.

"We must utilize this momentum to strengthen our bilateral relations in various sectors of common interest and to address regional and global challenges together," Retno said in a statement received on Wednesday (10/1/2024) in Jakarta.

Foreign Minister Retno also said that Indonesia welcomes the strengthening of bilateral trade and exploring new trade opportunities.

"We welcome the growth of our bilateral trade over the past 5 years despite the global crisis to further strengthen bilateral trade, we are committed to exploring new trade opportunities," Retno said.

In addition, in the investment sector, Foreign Minister Retno appreciated and welcomed the enthusiasm of investors from both countries to strengthen mutual cooperation.

"A delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also visiting Manila," she said.

In addition to discussing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Foreign Minister Retno appreciated the joint efforts of the Philippines and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in registering and confirming Indonesian Descendants in Mindanao and stated that Indonesia looks forward to further support for the second batch of registration.

"I also appreciate the joint efforts of the Philippines and UNHCR in registering and certifying Indonesian Descendants (WNIK) in Mindanao and we look forward to further support for the second batch of WNIK registration," she concluded.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi explained her various achievements during her nine years in office. One of them is Indonesia's diplomatic achievements in various international forums, such as ASEAN and the G20.