VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) and Japanese Embassy in Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Excavation, Collection, and Repatriation of the Remain of the Japanese Soldiers who Died on the Second World War in the Province of Papua and the Province West Papua, Indonesia, Tuesday (26/06). The agreement was signed by the Director General of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid and Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii at the Ministry of Education and Culture Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (06/25). The Director General of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture Hilmar Farid said, the repatriation cooperation was an extension of the previous cooperation, by including a number of revisions.

"The excavation has already been done before, and now it's actually an extension of it, and of course there are some minor revisions that are in accordance with our current situation. So the discussion is quite long, and now Alhamdulillah, it is finished, completed, and the cooperation will continue," said Hilmar Farid.

Meanwhile, Japan's Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii said that there are at least 20,000 troops in World War II who were still in Papua. The Japanese government will send a team to carry out the repatriation of these remains. (VOI / AHM)

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Philippines have been established since 70 years ago. During this period, Indonesia and the Philippines have established close cooperation in maintaining regional stability and peace and establishing increasingly close and broad cooperation. In the trade sector, the value of Indonesia's trade in the Philippines in 2018 increased by 4 percent. This was conveyed by the Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Yembise, in her speech representing the Indonesian government at the 121st Philippine Independence Day reception and the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of Indonesia-Philippines Relations in Jakarta, Wednesday (18/06).

“I’m proud to share that in 2018 alone, we have enjoyed 4 percent increase in our bilateral trade value. In 2018, compared to the initial year a total of 7.78 billion US dollars. Tourism and investement cooperation have been also growing rapidly. And I am confident that this cooperation will never cease to grow in the coming years,” said Yohana.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leehiong T. Wee said Indonesia for the Philippines was more than a neighboring country. After the tsunami in Aceh in 2014, the Philippines was the first country to send humanitarian aid to Indonesia. Vice versa, when a typhoon struck the Philippines in 2013, Indonesia provided assistance for the rehabilitation in Marawi in the Southern Philippines. According to Leehiong T. Wee this shows the closeness between the two countries. (VOI / AHM)

East Java Governor Khofifah Indarparawangsa met President Joko Widodo on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta. After meeting the President, Khofifah explained that during the meeting, she reported two Drafts of Presidential Regulations which had been discussed between the East Java Provincial government and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Both drafts are related to Gresik – Bangkalan – Mojokerto – Surabaya – Sidoarjo – Lamongan (Gerbangkertasusila) and Suramadu projects. In the Presidential Decree on Gerbangkertasusila, Khofifah explained that the East Java Provincial Government plans to build a megapolitan area that connects a number of cities in East Java, namely Gresik, Bangkalan, Mojokerto, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Lamongan. To support the development of the megapolitan area, Khofifah emphasized the importance of the aspect of connectivity.

"Then in the drafts, we want to reinforce how the connection between Gerbangkertasusila is connected, including the seaport that exists at some point. Because seaport is in Lamong Bay besides Tanjung Perak. Then in Lamongan there is also in Probolinggo and it is connected to the toll road. So that's the reinforcement that we want to get," she said.

Meanwhile related to the Suramadu Presidential Decree, Governor Khofifah Indarparawangsa said that the East Java provincial government hoped that with the Suramadu bridge connecting Java and Madura Island, Madura Island could be utilized for industrial development. In addition, according to her, the East Java provincial government also hopes that in Madura, Indonesian Islamic Science Park can be built. The park is hoped to become the center of the spread of Islam which can unite Islam internationally and Wasathiyyah Islam.

"We want that at the foot of Madura there is Indonesia Islamic Science Park. It needs about 101 hectare o land, 20 percent for education, 30 percent for art, and 50 percent for tourism. We hope that the Indonesia Islamic Science Park will become an international center for Islamic dissemination with Wasattiyah Islam, midline Islam, peaceful Islam, loving Islam," Governor Khofifah said.

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In addition to being the center of the spread of Islamic teachings, Khofifah also wants the Indonesian Islamic Science Park in East Java to later become the center of world Islamic finance. (VOI/Ndy / AHM / EDT)

President Joko Widodo received an envoy from a number of micro, small and medium business associations on Tuesday afternoon at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. There are 4 (four) associations of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs visiting the Presidential Palace. In the meeting, the President said that he was optimistic that micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia had wide opportunities to continue to be developed. Until now, there are around 62.9 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) business units in Indonesia. According to Jokowi, the existing business opportunities can continue to be developed, especially in the service and industry sectors. On the occasion, the President also asked for input from entrepreneurs to be able to design proportional policies for the development of MSMEs in the country.

"I want to get input in order to design policies, especially micro, small and medium enterprises, which we know the latest data that I received was 62.9 million small, micro and medium enterprises in Indonesia. I think we have a very, very wide opportunity in our country to develop the existing businesses and the opportunities that we have used as good as possible both the small and medium industry trade service business that I have experienced," said President Joko Widodo.

Furthermore, President Joko Widodo also reminded Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) entrepreneurs that the government could facilitate national MSME businesses through policy aspects. But the President reminded that excessive facilities can actually weaken the micro, small and medium industries, especially weakening the character of entrepreneurship in the community. (VOI / Ndy / AHM)