VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad received a visit of Russian President, Vladimir Putin in Damascus on Tuesday (7/1). The visit was carried out to hear military reports about the situation in various regions of Syria, which are projected to be potential places of conflict, following tensions between the United States and Iran. In his remarks, President Assad expressed his appreciation for Russia's assistance in the fight against terrorism and the restoration of a peaceful life in Syria.

"I congratulate the great achievements that have been realized over the past few years, helping the Syrian Arab military in the war against terrorism. Unsurprisingly, Russia had also succeeded in fighting NAZI terrorism a few decades ago and won the war. You have saved the world, including Europe. Today, we face similar terrorism, but the context is different. We must continue the war that is occurring in Syria, so that we can also save the world from the threat of terrorism,” said Assad.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin conveyed Russia's commitment to help restore Syria and guarantee the country's territorial integrity. In addition, he also conveyed a Christmas greeting coinciding with the Orthodox Christmas every January 7 to Russian troops serving in Syria. (HT. RifaíI)

Meeting a number of heads of regions at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (8/1), President Joko Widodo wanted central and regional governments to reconstruct and rehabilitate facilities and infrastructures after floods occurred in Jakarta and surrounding areas. He further said the disaster which brought about the damage of both people’s homes and public facilities has been identified.

 “After emergency response completed, I also asked to reconstruct and rehabilitate particularly in Banten and West Java. The government hopes that this can be done immediately for homes impacted houses of landslide and floods. I think the number of victims and the impacted homes and areas have been identified well and this must be diversified again so that after the rain stops, it can be done by central government. I asked the homes in Bogor regency to be relocated after the disaster. President also asked the regent and governor of West Java to decide the location and it is not far from the existing areas in order to be determined soon,” said President Joko Widodo.

Moreover, President Joko Widodo also asked relocation for impacted homes of disaster in Banten province. He said the decision of relocation homes must be quickly done because some locations cannot be used to be locations for people’s housing. (VOI/NdyTRANS:AF)

The latest incidents in the North Natuna Sea, Riau Islands Province will not affect the Chinese investment in the country, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has said. "I don't see the industrial community in China being affected by the affairs that occur in Natuna," Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in Jakarta Thursday.

Indonesia remains an attractive investment destination for other countries as the economic situation here is conducive, according to Agus.

Countries in the East Asian region had formulated a policy called the new south policy, in which the countries began to look at investment objectives to the south, he continued.

"So they look south, which is the ASEAN region. Well, in ASEAN, the best country is Indonesia," Agus remarked.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a memorandum of protest regarding violations of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by Chinese coast guards in Natuna waters.

Indonesia's EEZ territory had been established by international law, namely, through the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

"China is a party of the 1982 UNCLOS, therefore it is China's obligation to respect the implementation of the 1982 UNCLOS," he said.

Indonesia will never recognize the nine-dash line, a unilateral claim made by China that has no legal reason recognized by international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, he said. (ANTARA)

The Ukrainian Embassy in Iran is establishing lists of people killed in Ukraine's Boeing 737 crash near Tehran airport, a representative of the embassy told Sputnik on Wednesday. The aircraft, carrying 167 passengers, crashed earlier in the day near Iran's Khomeini Airport soon after take-off. Iranian media reports said that the crash had resulted from a technical problem​​​. Meanwhile, it happened soon after Iran launched a series of attacks at US military facilities in Iraq. The representative said the embassy staffers were already working in the airport. The representative of the embassy told Sputnik earlier in the day that the embassy was verifying information and gathering data. (SPUTNIK)