VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has emphasized the importance of neutrality for all acting regional heads in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.

He stated that he evaluates their work daily and removes any who are found to be biased.

"I evaluate (their work) every day. Once they have gone rogue, I will change their position. That is my prerogative," he stated while addressing all Indonesian acting regional heads at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

Jokowi also urged all acting regional heads to provide full support to the General Election Commission (KPU) and General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).

"However, do not intervene in their work," he emphasized.

He said that the support and assistance can be provided in the form of the operational budget that should be disbursed immediately.

He also reminded acting regional heads to desist from taking sides with any election candidate.

"I also ask you not to take sides. Your work is being monitored. It is very easy to spot which acting regional head is taking sides," Jokowi stated.

Moreover, he called on acting regional heads to ensure that all ASN will be neutral in facing the 2024 general election.

"Lastly, please maintain harmony in your ranks. Resolve it immediately if there is a spark related to politics," he said.

Jokowi said he will evaluate all these directions on a daily basis. Various obstacles related to the implementation of elections can be reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs and to the president.

"I will continue to monitor your work and duties. If there is a problem, please immediately report it to the Ministry of Home Affairs. If it is serious, immediately come to me, so I can help," he remarked.

The president's meeting with acting regional heads was attended by 37 acting mayors, 133 acting district heads, and 23 acting governors throughout Indonesia.

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani also accompanied President Jokowi at the meeting. (Antaranews)

VOInews, Jakarta: Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi invited Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis to participate in efforts to stop violence in Palestine. According to her, this is needed to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

"I invite Lithuania to participate in the call for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians, and to ensure safe and sustainable survival and unimpeded humanitarian assistance," she said in a statement delivered after a bilateral meeting with Gabrielius Landsbergis, in Jakarta, Monday (30/10/2023).

Retno said that in three weeks, more than 7,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, 68 percent of whom were women and children. According to her, these killings and hostilities must stop immediately.

"Are these numbers not enough to stop the killings, and initiate an immediate, durable, and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire, leading to a cessation of hostilities?," she said.

She also invited all parties to defend justice and humanity. "Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine must end based on internationally agreed parameters," she concluded.(Andy Romdoni)

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesian Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan emphasized the importance of resolving negotiations and World Trade Organization (WTO) issues at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference next year. This was conveyed by Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan during a meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Osaka, Japan, on Saturday (28/10/2023).

VOINews, Jakarta - Australia has rejected European Union proposals for a free trade agreement, and a deal is now unlikely to be reached for several years, Australian government ministers said on Monday.

The largest farm industry group thanked the government for refusing to "throw Aussie farmers under a bus" by signing a deal it said would not have let enough of their products into the EU.

The two sides have been negotiating since 2018, with Australia eager to boost agricultural exports by removing EU tariffs and expanding quotas, and Europe likely to gain greater access to Australia's critical minerals industry.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said after a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) trade ministers in the Japanese city of Osaka over the weekend that no progress had been made.

"I came to Osaka with the intention to finalise a free trade agreement," Farrell said in a statement.

"Unfortunately we have not been able to make progress," he said. "Negotiations will continue, and I am hopeful that one day we will sign a deal that benefits both Australia and our European friends."

Australia's agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said the EU - one of the world's largest markets - had only slightly tweaked the proposal it put on the table three months ago.

"We just weren't able to see the EU increase its offer for things like beef, sheep, dairy, sugar, enough for us to think that this deal was in Australia's national interest," he told ABC Radio.

EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said the bloc had "presented a commercially meaningful agricultural market access offer to Australia, while being mindful of the interests of the European agricultural sector".

"Unfortunately, our Australian partners were not able to engage on the basis of previously identified landing zones. We were therefore unable to make progress," he said.

'DUD DEAL'

Australia's Watt said it would be some time before the Australian government and EU leadership would be able to negotiate a deal because of upcoming elections in the EU.

Australian farm groups had pressured the government not to sign a "dud deal" that would put their members at a disadvantage to competitors in New Zealand, Canada and South America, who have greater access to EU markets.

The EU signed a trade deal with New Zealand last year that lowered tariffs for EU exports including clothing, chemicals and cars, and allowed more New Zealand beef, lamb, butter and cheese into the EU.

"It's disappointing the Europeans weren't willing to put something commercially meaningful on the table," National Farmers' Federation President David Jochinke said in a statement. (Reuters)