VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) head Suharso Monoarfa has urged the members of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) to enhance solidarity through effective and inclusive multilateralism.

According to a statement received here on Wednesday, he said that multilateralism is required to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"Globally, only 12 percent of SDGs' 140 targets have proceeded according to plan. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic left a significant challenge on development issues, and 93 million people remained in extreme poverty by 2020," Monoarfa noted.

The minister conveyed the remarks at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2023 side event organized by Indonesia and Sweden, as GPEDC co-chairs, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the United States, on Tuesday.

He noted that through the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) platform, Indonesia secured access to various vaccine sources to help residents during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, through its G20 Presidency last year, Indonesia successfully identified 361 collaborative projects under the G20 in various sectors, including health, digital economy, and energy transition.

Indonesia has also declared its readiness to host the Global Summit on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in 2024, he added.

"Multilateralism with emphasis on effective cooperation is essential to overcome global challenges beyond national borders. It also provides practical mechanisms for countries to be involved by promoting dialogue, building trust, and developing partnerships," Monoarfa explained.

He said that as GPEDC co-chair, Indonesia wishes to emphasize multi-stakeholder partnership as a collective measure to mobilize resources and innovative solutions.

The approach is also in line with the UN Secretary-General's Our Common Agenda vision, which calls for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to get the world back on the development track.

The minister highlighted that one of the GPEDC's main contributions to the SDGs has been GPEDC global monitoring as a data source and proof of SDG implementation commitment, which pushes collective accountability and seeks to improve voluntary national reviews.

"Indonesia is fully committed to enhancing multi-stakeholder partnerships at the global level through our GPEDC co-chairmanship. This platform united various development actors through approaches led by principles to grow trust and policy actions in countries," Monoarfa added. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan on Wednesday took suggestions on renovating the traditional market in Bakauheni, South Lampung, Lampung province, from locals and regional government representatives.

"This visit can become an effort to pursue coordination so there will be an arrangement of the market, just like what has been done to Natar market," the minister said in South Lampung.

He further said that he welcomed the many suggestions made by the people and regional government officials on improving the market in South Lampung district.

"Please, regional government, do send (the requests) to the Trade Ministry, and the central government will facilitate the suggestion as per the applicable regulation," he added.

The effort to revitalize the market is aimed at creating a conducive situation so as to allow a more comfortable shopping experience, he said.

"The market is considered as a tourist place. If the tourism is good, so is the port, hence market arrangement must be good, too, so that buyers will keep crowding and coming, and tourists can shop here," he explained.

Meanwhile, the village chief of Bakauheni, Bakauheni sub-district, Sukirno, said that there are two traditional markets in the area.

"One is private-owned, Pasar Siger, spanning one hectare with 200 kiosks. Whereas Bakauheni market is owned by the regional government, spanning 18 thousand square meters, and 150 kiosks; however, there are only 20 units (of kiosks in use currently), so (we) need assistance to make it more lively," he informed.

He said that government aid is necessary to reactivate the market and relocate the private-owned traditional market to another place, so as to tidy up the place and improve the traffic lanes.

"We want the revitalization of the market so it will be tidier, as well as make the regional-government-owned market lively again, as for 20 years, it has been so bleak," he added.

Minister Hasan visited Pasar Baru Bakauheni on Wednesday to review the condition of its infrastructure. He also conversed with vendors and visitors to gauge the prices of foods sold in the market.

According to his review, the prices of staple goods in the traditional market are still considerably stable.

"Thank God, until now, all stocks of staple goods are still sufficient, whether it is rice, eggs, chicken, everything is here," the minister noted. (antaranews)

Japan and the United Arab Emirates agreed to cooperate on technology and climate change during Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit, his second stop in the region focused on securing energy supplies and promoting green technology.

Kishida met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, during which they agreed to a new Japan-UAE innovation partnership, Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The partnership would include a new scheme to accelerate energy security, as well as a framework for the UAE to cooperate with and invest in Japan on chip and battery technology, according to the statement issued late on Monday.

The two leaders also adopted a joint statement on climate action, which said that both remain committed to the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and acknowledged "the role of clean hydrogen and derivatives including ammonia in accelerating the energy transition".

State news agency WAM also said the two leaders discussed a comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and Japan. They signed several agreements covering different sectors, WAM added.

Kishida is expected to attend a UAE-Japan business forum later before travelling to major gas-producer Qatar on Tuesday, officials said.

Japan is actively developing greener and renewable energy technologies and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. Kishida will also try to promote Japanese know-how as energy-producing countries have pledged to achieve a net zero transition, especially ahead of the COP28 climate summit to be held in Dubai in November.

His UAE visit follows a stop in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in which Riyadh said it remained committed to securing oil supplies for Japan and would continue cooperating with Tokyo on clean hydrogen, ammonia and recycled carbon fuels.

Kishida and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, agreed to launch "Manar" initiative, which will help countries around the world achieve their net zero transitions, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Monday.

Tokyo and Riyadh are also set to start a new strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level - a move both leaders welcomed in their summit meeting, according to a statement released by the Japanese foreign ministry on Monday.

"Both leaders agreed to further energise exchanges, which cover politics, diplomacy, and security, between the two countries," the statement said.

Japan and the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will in 2024 resume talks on a free trade agreement, said Hikariko Ono, press secretary for Japan's foreign ministry. The GCC is a six-nation regional union that comprises Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

"We don't really have any target year to complete a negotiation," she said on Monday, adding that previous trade talks with the GCC were suspended in 2009.

State oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has previously said that Japan imports approximately 25% of its crude oil from the UAE, making it ADNOC's largest international importer of oil and gas products.

"The secure energy supply from the UAE has supported Japan's economic growth for many years," Kishida wrote in a piece published by UAE state news agency WAM on Sunday.

A senior official at Japan's foreign ministry told reporters this week that Kishida planned to discuss energy markets during his trip, while also aiming to offer Japanese technologies for net zero transition. (Reuters)

Taiwan is looking to buy National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, from the United States to upgrade its air defence capabilities having seen how well they work in Ukraine, the island's defence minister said on Tuesday.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military and political pressure over the past three years to try to force the democratically governed island to accept Beijing's rule.

NASAMS have been provided by the United States for use in Ukraine, with U.S. officials saying they have had a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles.

The system, developed and built by Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) and Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen (KOG.OL) is a short- to medium-range ground-based air defence system that protects against drone, missile, and aircraft attack, which both Canada and Lithuania have also bought, or are buying for Ukraine.

Asked on the sidelines of parliament about Taiwan buying NASAMS, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said "certainly" there was a proposal to get them.

"This work must be done in accordance with the enemy situation," he said. "We have seen from the Russia-Ukraine war that these weapons definitely have good performance."

However, Taiwan has not received any official notification from the U.S. that they will sell NASAMS to Taipei, Chiu said.

"But we need this work to be done as soon as possible."

The U.S., Taiwan's main foreign source of weapons, formally makes notifications to the island about the arms Washington is willing to sell.

The U.S. is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations. China routinely denounces such arms sales.

Taiwan's military has been paying close attention to the war in Ukraine for lessons on defending against a much larger opponent, for example by the use of drones. (Reuters)