VOI News, Jakarta: Indonesian Navy soldiers from the 1st Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (Yontaifib) and the United States Marines on Friday wrapped up a series of reconnaissance and infiltration exercises under the "Reconnaissance Exchange" (Reconex) Joint Exercise 2024.

The two units underwent a series of closing exercises ranging from long-range navigation exercises to complete infiltration exercises (full mission profile) from May 8–10, 2024.

Commander of Marine Troops (Danpasmar) 1, Brigadier General Umar Farouq, emphasized that joint training between Indonesian and United States Marine troops would not stop at the 2024 Reconex.

"There will be many more exercises between the two units," he informed while reviewing the training on Thursday, according to an official statement released on Friday.

As part of a series of full mission profile exercises on Damar Island since Thursday, Amphibious Reconnaissance soldiers from the two countries practiced infiltrating enemy areas, paralyzing targets, freeing prisoners, and treating and evacuating combat victims, followed by exfiltrating, or leaving the enemy area after completing the mission.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday (May 8), the soldiers trained in long-range navigation, a cross-surface infiltration technique using rubber boats (seariders).

In a separate official statement issued by the US Embassy in Indonesia, Commander of Alfa Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division of the US Marine Corps, Captain Ethan Hamilton, informed that the Reconex training was a unique opportunity for soldiers from the two countries to build mutual trust.

According to him, the joint exercise aimed to improve the capabilities of the two countries' reconnaissance forces in terms of tactics, techniques, and procedures in a hostile environment.

The Reconex training is a joint exercise that is held routinely by the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps every one–two years.

This year, the training took place from April 25–May 10. It was attended by 120 soldiers from the 1st Yontaifib of the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps and 20 soldiers from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Marine Division of the US Marine Corps.

Besides Damar Island, the Reconex training was also held in several other locations, namely Marine Combat Training Center (Puslatpur) 6 Antralina, Sukabumi, West Java; the Pondok Cabe Airbase in Tangerang, Banten; and the Indonesian Armed Forces Training Command in Jakarta. (Antara)

VOI News, Jakarta: TNI AU Staff Deputy Chief, Vice Marshal Andyawan Martono, discussed joint training plans with Japan Air Self-Defense Deputy Chief, Lieutenant General Takuto Ogaswara, alongside the 2024 Air and Space Conference in Canberra, Australia, May 9.

"The two officials discussed the possibility of joint exercise between the two air forces," as quoted from the Indonesian Air Force's official statement on Friday.

The Indonesian Air Force welcomes the Japanese military to conduct joint exercises. This will be beneficial for Indonesia to gain new perspective and combat experience with Japan.

In addition, both nations can share knowledge on war strategies and technology of the main weapons systems, according to the statement.

This cooperation in the military sector will also strengthen the long-standing sound relations between Indonesia and Japan.

Hence, the Indonesian Air Force ranks hope that the joint military air training activities would be completed shortly.

Earlier, Indonesian Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, and his Japanese counterpart, Minoru Kihara, discussed several matters during their meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on April 3, including those related to defense cooperation, one of which was continuing cadet exchanges and issues related to the Indo-Pacific region.

Prabowo is optimistic that defense cooperation between the two countries would continue to increase based on the success of earlier programs.

"I previously met with the Japanese minister of defense and asked to send cadets from Indonesia, starting with two people. After that, I asked for another batch, and we have sent four people in total," Prabowo told Kihara at the meeting.

Minister Kihara also conveyed his stance against all unilateral decisions and changes that could increase tensions in the South China Sea.

He believes that Japan and Indonesia, as maritime countries, can work together to ensure the implementation of law in maintaining the Indo-Pacific as a free and open region. (Antara)

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesia and Sweden launched the 2024 Health Services Platform in Jakarta on Friday (26/4). It is part of the Sweden-Indonesia Sustainable Partnership Program (SISP) which has been launched since 2020. 

This launch was attended by Indonesian Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN, Daniel Blockert, as well as health industry players. In his speech, Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin conveyed that through the partnership program, the Indonesian government wants to facilitate the business sectors of both countries in a bid to expand networks and opportunities for cooperation.  

He also remarked that the business people have a high role in encouraging and succeeding the programs of the two countries that want to improve health services for the community.

”When you see these arrangements, it's less G-to-G, but more G-to-private. So, we are dealing not mostly with the government of Sweden, but with private companies. To become a high income country, impossible for the government if we don't facilitate the private sector. The one that moves the needle of the economy is the private sector. If we want to move the needle, we have to write a regulation that the private sector coming in, invests, it's much more efficient. Compared to private hospitals, we are nothing. I think government hospitals are only 800 and declining. The number of private hospitals is increasing. So, more and more deliveries of healthcare services are done by the private sector,” he conveyed.   

Moreover, in 2023, the Swedish team along with the Indonesian Ministry of Health will begin a collaborative effort to develop the partnership program of  2024 Health Services Platform. Both countries are working together to share knowledge, technology and experience in developing sustainable health services. 

The Sweden-Indonesia Sustainable Partnership (SISP) is an inter-governmental (G-to-G) platform to develop collaboration between Sweden and Indonesia where both countries work together to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  This partnership aims to foster cooperation between Swedish and Indonesian institutions and companies in various sectors, including transport, energy, health, mining and manufacturing. (Ndy/ Mar/AF/Rahmana)

VOInews,Jakarta: Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN, Daniel Blockert pointed out that Indonesia has become an attractive market for Swedish investors. On the sidelines of the launch of the 2024 Health Services Platform which is part of the Sweden-Indonesia Sustainable Partnership (SISP) in Jakarta on Friday (26/4), he also explained that currently, there are Swedish companies producing in Indonesia and investing in various fields.

According to  Ambassador Daniel, Swedish investors have high optimism because Indonesia has carried out a number of reforms that support the investment climate in the country. With many facilities offered by Indonesia, Ambassador Daniel Blockert admitted that he would be very surprised if foreign investment from Sweden in Indonesia does not increase.

“Indonesia is an interesting market for Swedish companies. We have Swedish companies who are already producing in Indonesia. We have companies who are investing in other areas here as well. And I hear that there are many Swedish companies who are interested in getting into this market more. I don't think that I will insult anyone if I'm saying that the Indonesian health sector has not always been easy to navigate but I think that what I'm hearing when I talked to the Swedish companies is that there is a lot of optimism because reforms have been made and reforms are also on the way and I think that the general sense from the business communities that these are big steps in the right direction. And with this market, with these possibilities that you have here with the large number of universities, I would be very surprised if Swedish investments in the health sector are not going to increase in Indonesia for the coming years. It is safe to say that there are a lot of interests,” he pointed out.

Furthermore, since 2020, Indonesia and Sweden have increased bilateral cooperation of both countries through the Sweden-Indonesia Sustainable Partnership (SISP) scheme which aims to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Targets (SDGs) set by the UN.

Previously, Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the Indonesian government encourages to increase relations between Indonesian and Swedish business actors to improve the quality of health services in Indonesia. He believes that the business community has an important role in making this effort a success, facilitated by the government. (Ndy/ Mar/AF/Rahmana)

VOInews,Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the 2023 Hassan Wirajuda Protection of Indonesian Citizen Award (HWPA) at Graha Bhakti Budaya Taman Ismail Marzuki in Jakarta on Friday evening (26/4). The award appreciated 23 figures and entities from Indonesia and foreign countries, who have contributed to protecting Indonesian citizens (WNI) abroad.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi in her speech mentioned three reflections regarding the protection of Indonesian citizens during her time in office. One of them is increasingly complex challenges in which Indonesian citizens abroad face problems, such as disasters, conflicts, and even online fraud.

“From time to time, the number of cases of Indonesian citizens abroad is increasing. In 2022, the  cases  reached 35,149. This number also increased by more than 50 percent to 53,598 cases in 2023. Apart from the number of cases, world conditions are increasingly characterized by various dynamics ranging  from natural disasters, armed conflicts, to the development of increasingly sophisticated transnational crime modes,” she noted.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that more than 1,100 Indonesian citizens have been repatriated since 2023 due to conflicts in a number of regions. However, since 2021, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recorded more than 3,400 cases of Indonesian citizens caught in online fraud; 40% of which were related to human trafficking. 

Besides the complexity of the challenges, Minister Retno also conveyed  the importance of strengthening collaboration among all parties and taking  experience as the best teacher. Therefore, at this event, she launched a book entitled "Presenting the Country to the End of the World", containing reflections on the HWPA awards over the last eight years. (VOI/Rama-Mar/AF/Rahmana)

Jakarta, VOI News :  Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Hadi Tjahjanto, has asked the chief of Air Force Staff (KSAU), Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono, to prepare the necessary defense equipment for carrying out weather modification.

"The Java and East Nusa Tenggara Islands will continue to experience the dry season followed by La Nina until September. La Nina is not finished yet, so the Air Force needs to immediately prepare the defense equipment for weather modification," the minister said at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base on Friday.

He explained that the defense equipment that would need to be deployed are airplanes belonging to the Air Force that have been modified with a weather control device.

Weather modification will be carried out to prevent extreme drought that could potentially trigger forest fires in some areas, the minister said.

He added that it could also reduce excessively heavy rainfall.

However, he did not provide further details on the tools and the number of aircraft that would be deployed to modify the weather.

He expressed the hope that the effort would directly minimize natural disaster impacts due to weather dynamics.

Weather modification involves spreading salt in large quantities in the air.

The Indonesian Air Force also applied this technology in early 2023. At the time, it used the CN-295 aircraft from the Weather Modification Technology Post at Adisoemarmo Air Force Base, Solo, Central Java, to spread 13,530 kilograms of salt.

On a separate occasion, chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Bambang Soesatyo, asked the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to be ready to provide assistance to East Nusa Tenggara province.

The region has a high potential to experience five-meter high waves until April 8, 2024, as forecast by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). (ANTARA)

Jakarta, VOI News : Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta,  Indonesia represented by Religious Attaché,  Syaikh Ahmad Isya Al Hazimi  visited the head office of RRI on Friday (5/4)  to attend the prize giving ceremony Umrah for the winners of the 54th RRI Quran Tilawatil Week  2024 of  the disability category.

In his speech, Shaykh Ahmad Isya Al Hazimi felt honored to be able to contribute to the 54th RRI Quran Tilawatil Week  activities by providing Umrah package prizes for 4 winners from the male and female categories. The Umrah trip prize is sponsored by two philanthropic foundations in Saudi Arabia, namely the Hambali Social Foundation and the Masith Aris Foundation.

“The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Religion, represented by  the Religious Attaché of the Saudi Arabian Embassy, is pleased with the opportunity given  to contribute to this extraordinary musabaqah event  in which  the participants are people we really care about, namely those who are blind. The event is  supported by 2 social foundations in Saudi Arabia,  namely the Hambali Foundation and the Masith Aris Foundation that  provided donations for Umrah departures for 4 winners  through the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Religion in Riyadh which is  represented by the Religious Attaché Embassy,” Syaikh Ahmad Isya conveyed.

Moreover, four participants at the the 54th RRI Quran Tilawatil Week  2024 for  the disability category who received Umrah prizes from the Saudi Arabian Embassy are 1st and 2nd place in the men's category,  Ahmad Yasir from Denpasar Bali and Gusnanda from Pekanbaru Riau Province. The 1st and 2nd place in the women's category are Andini Putri Melati from Palembang South Sumatra and Shinta Wulan from Medan North Sumatra. (Daniel/nrl/AF/Rahmana)

VOINews, Jakarta : Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had approved the proposal of flight information region (FIR) takeover from Singapore to Indonesia.

"Singapore used to have control over the air space above the Riau and Natuna Islands at an altitude of 0-37 thousand feet," the minister remarked on Saturday.

Pandjaitan spoke of having received this report while undergoing health recovery in Singapore on January 11, 2024.

Furthermore, 60 days after the publication of information regarding these changes, the Indonesian airspace, which had earlier been designated as a Singapore FIR, completely returned as an Indonesian FIR.

With the official implementation of the transfer of the Singapore FIR to the Indonesian FIR, Pandjaitan stated that the government's policy regarding aviation services will make Indonesia's air space safer, more competitive, and attractive for the civil aviation industry.

"We hope that the management of Indonesian air space that is safe, effective, in line with national interests, and meets international civil aviation service standards can be achieved," he remarked.

Apart from the FIR agreement, he noted that the defense cooperation and fugitive extradition agreement between Indonesia and Singapore were also implemented.

"This is important, considering that those issues are bilateral issues that have not been resolved between the two countries for a long time," he remarked.

He stated that the diplomatic approach of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long facilitated the establishment of the agreement.

However, he reminded that the agreement should not put aside national interests.

Based on President Widodo's directions, Pandjaitan had also partaken in establishing sound communication with Singapore Senior Minister Teo Che Hean.

"All steps were taken to prioritize strengthening bilateral relations and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries," he emphasized. (Antara)

VOINews, Jakarta : Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi has said that the month of Ramadan provides an opportunity to foster a sense of togetherness and promote tolerance and friendship. 

This was affirmed by Minister  Retno Marsudi when attending the 2024 Pejambon Ifthar activity which was held at the Nusantara Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday (22/3.

”Ramadan always provides us a good opportunity to make ourselves a better human being, and a good opportunity to nurture the feeling of togetherness and friendship.This Holy Ramadan also represents a chance for all of us to promote tolerance and ukhuwah,” She conveyed.

Moreover, Minister Retno Marsudi also reminded that the Indonesian people must continue to be grateful because they can gather comfortably while the Palestinians are still fighting for their independence.  Therefore,  she also affirmed that the Indonesian government is committed to helping the Palestinians by continuing to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. (VOI-Ranov-Mar/  AF-Rahmana)

VOI News : Indonesian Minister of Manpower,  Ida Fauziyah was the guest of honor at the celebration of the 63rd Kuwait National Day and the 33rd Kuwait Liberation Day in Jakarta  on Friday (24/2).

In her speech, Minister Ida Fauziyah  pointed out that Kuwait has become the second home for more than 6,100 Indonesian citizens.   She hopes that more professional and skilled workers from Indonesia will work in Kuwait.

“I am happy to know that Kuwait is also a second home for more than 6,100 Indonesian citizens in Kuwait. Approximately,  2,850 Indonesian residents or more than 46% of this number are professional and skilled workers who work in the oil, health and hospitality sectors," She pointed out.

Furthermore, Minister  Ida Fauziyah  revealed that the bilateral trade between Indonesia and Kuwait has shown promising results.  Trade volume in 2023 was recorded to have increased by 60% compared to last year, even slightly exceeding the pre-pandemic trade volume by 2019. 

Minister Ida also expressed her gratitude to the government of Kuwait in supporting the implementation of the 2024 elections in Kuwait, in which 54% of approximately 3,600 registered voters exercised their voting rights. (Rama-Mar/AF-Rhm)