VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo has consistently delivered a number of messages during the 37th ASEAN Summit and other related summits, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi.

"As a wrap-up of the whole 37th ASEAN Summit and other related summits, I can convey a number of things. The President has consistently delivered three issues," Retno Marsudi said while giving a virtual press statement from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Sunday.

The first message conveyed by the President is the importance of paying attention to cooperation in the health sector, both in short and long terms, in order to develop regional and world health resilience.

The second message is to encourage cooperation to overcome the economic impact of the pandemic. This cooperation is important for recovery of the world economic conditions, without sacrificing adherence to the health protocols against COVID-19 transmission.

The third message is the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world in general. The Foreign Minister said that this matter was emphasized by the President because the rivalries among big powers are getting worse.

"Efforts to deal with pandemics and economic impacts will be hampered if peace and stability are not maintained," the Minister said.

In addition to, President Jokowi also emphasized the issue of ASEAN centrality and solidity during the summits. ASEAN must really implement these principles. Indonesia also consistently maintains ASEAN centrality and solidity and will continue to do so, according to Jokowi.

"We can not do it alone, we need everyone on board. ASEAN must continue to uphold and implement the principles that have been mutually agreed upon, for example, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and not open up opportunities for any country to bid on these principles," the Foreign Minister said.

The President also highlighted other messages regarding respect for international laws, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the importance of strengthening multilateralism.

The 37th ASEAN Summit and other related summits were organized via teleconference from Nov 12 until 15, 2020. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo emphasized the role of the United Nations in facilitating vaccine access for all, while speaking in the 11th ASEAN-UN Summit via teleconference from Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Sunday.

The Indonesian President said that in the short term, the UN must play a role in fulfilling access to medicines and vaccines for all, while in the long term, the UN and ASEAN could collaborate to ensure preparedness in dealing possible pandemic in the future, the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat said in a press statement.

Indonesia believes that improvements to the national and regional health systems can be a strong foundation for improving the global health system, he remarked.

Jokowi also encouraged the UN to maintain diversity and tolerance. He expressed his concern that amid the current pandemic, he witnessed religious intolerance and violence in the name of religion.

"If this is allowed, it will tear apart harmony and foster radicalism and extremism. This must not happen," he said.

As the third largest democracy in the world, Indonesia is of the view that freedom of expression is not absolute. Religious values, symbols and sensitivities must always be respected, he noted.

"At the same time, Indonesia condemns all forms of violence for any reason. Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. Terrorism is terrorism," he stated.

He called on the UN Secretary General to encourage the world to continue to work together, to strengthen tolerance, prevent hate speech, and reject violence for any reason.

"Diversity, tolerance and solidarity are solid foundations for a peaceful, safe and stable world," he said.

In addition to, he also said that the UN must restore confidence in multilateralism. Trust will grow if multilateralism can meet the expectations of the world community, especially in fighting the pandemic, according to Jokowi.

Today the world needs unity, brotherhood and cooperation to overcome COVID-19 and other global challenges, he said.

During the virtual summit, the President was flanked by Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, and Indonesian Permanent Representative to ASEAN Ade Padmo Sarwono. (Antaranews)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on Sunday has demonstrated the commitments of peace and stability as well as prosperity within the region.

During the 4th RCEP Summit held virtually, President Jokowi stated that the signing was a historical moment as its process took nearly a decade after being initiated in 2011, and the first round of negotiation was conducted in 2013.

"The signing marks our powerful commitment on multilateralism," Jokowi remarked.

This regional pact that becomes the world's biggest trade agreement covering a market of around 2.2 billion people or 30 percent of the world's population has officially been signed by 10 ASEAN member countries along with their five partners -- China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Jokowi emphasized that all the member states feel the same way about the uneasy process to achieve RCEP. But, again, a strong commitment has made it all possible, he added.

The pact would also intensify the principle of an open, fair, and benefited all-sides multilateral commerce. Furthermore, this provides hope and an optimistic view of economic recovery for the post-pandemic era throughout the region.

"It is indeed an honor for Indonesia to be a country coordinator for the long process (of RCEP dialogue). Therefore, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation for every support and constructive contribution from all countries during the negotiation," Jokowi said.

However, President Jokowi emphasized that this Sunday's signing was only a beginning as every single state involved should put their efforts to manage it, and Indonesia is open for other countries to later join this pact.

"This also needs out political will on the highest level. And Indonesia--we welcome other countries in the region that are willing to join RCEP," he said. (Antaranews)

The Indonesian government has stressed that there will be no trade-off between economic recovery and environmental preservation in efforts to realize sustainable development in Indonesia.

“In realizing sustainable development, the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) is continuing to underline that there will be no trade-off; once again, there will be no trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation,” said Minister of National Development Planning and head of the Bappenas, Suharso Monoarfa.

He made the remarks at the launch of the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program-Coral Triangle Initiative (COREMAP-CTI) in Sorong, West Papua, which was broadcast online on Friday.

Restoring the economy and preserving the environment remain the government’s main concerns in the midst of the pandemic, Monoarfa stated. He likened the two to the wings of a swan that need to move together to ensure it can fly.

Under the current circumstances, the government cannot prioritize the management of the pandemic without paying equal attention to economic recovery, the United Development Party politician said.

At the same time, the government is prioritizing the health sector as public health initiatives need to go hand in hand with economic recovery efforts, he added.

"That is what I mean with the 'pair of swan wings' metaphor. So, there is no trade-off between economic recovery and environmental preservation. In this context, they are not interchangeable. There is no exchange rate," he said.

For that reason, COREMAP-CTI, which has been initiated by the Ministry of National Development Planning and the Bappenas along with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, is expected to protect and regulate the use of coral reefs and related ecosystems, along with marine conservation efforts, with the ultimate goal of improving the welfare of coastal communities, he noted.

“The preservation of coastal resources, in this case coral reefs, can be a real example of how to protect the environment while simultaneously improving the community and national economy. This is what I call the carrying capacity that we must maintain. That way, even though it is exploited for the prosperity of the sea, the prosperity of the people, and the economy, it would not go into extinction and will be maintained," Monoarfa explained.

Meanwhile, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Edhy Prabowo, voiced his full support for coral reef conservation efforts, considering their immense impact on the economy and the environment.

“Planting one coral reef is equal to the oxygen from 20 trees on land. It is very important. How to control the preservation of coral reefs? In the short term, strengthen monitoring of damage to coral reefs due to boat crashes. The long-term target for the preservation of coral reefs is (using them as) fish spawning grounds. There is also the addition of cold storage for fish production,” he said.

COREMAP-CTI is a pilot project that is being implemented by the Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) in four provinces — Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Papua. The focus of the project is to manage and utilize coral reef ecosystems and marine conservation areas.

The Ministry of National Development Planning /Bappenas, through ICCTF, has been managing the COREMAP-CTI project since 2019, with a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), channeled through the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The World Bank's support for COREMAP-CTI totals US$6.2 million, while the ADB’s support amounts to US$5.2 million.

In West Papua, the implementation of the COREMAP-CTI covers three priority areas — the Raja Ampat Islands Aquatic Reserve, the western Waigeo Islands Aquatic Reserve, and the Raja Ampat Regional Marine Protected Area.

The pilot project covers enabling access to fishery resource management for the community, developing livelihoods based on sustainable marine development, and policy recommendations that can be adopted by the central government, local governments, and ministries as well as agencies to ensure a sustainable impact. (Antaranews)