VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia and the African region have established close relations in the political field since the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, in 1955. However, in the past two years, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has had a view to turning the already close political relations into more concrete economic relations. This was conveyed by the Director of Africa, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Tumpal S. Simanjuntak at a Panel Discussion for the Africa Day 2019, in Jakarta, Saturday (05/25). According to Daniel, even though there are many trade challenges and obstacles that must be faced, Indonesia and countries in Africa have a lot of room of cooperation that can be done in the future. Daniel added that President Joko Widodo had instructed 3 important things to face barriers in the trade sector.

"We, as Indonesian officials are instructed by the President how we had to promote, to enhance investment, reduce and eliminate the possible trade barriers and promote possible technical cooperation. So these three are important issues that we can see in the near future," said Daniel Simanjuntak.

On the occasion, Daniel Simanjuntak conveyed a number of activities that have been and will be carried out by Indonesia to improve relations between Indonesia and the African Region, namely the Asia Africa Conference in 1955, the 2005 Asia Africa Summit, the 2018 Indonesia-Africa Forum, and the Indonesia Africa Maritime Dialog 2018. In 2019 the Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue is scheduled to be held from 20-21 August 2019 in Nusa Dua, Bali to be participated in by Indonesia and 700 African countries.

The Panel discussions for the 2019 Africa Day were attended by Ambassadors of countries in Africa such as Algeria, Sudan, South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia and several other foreign ambassadors in Indonesia. (VOI / AHM)

Indonesia and Africa both share common interest in several important topics, such as economic sovereignty, government reform, and solidarity. In addition, the two sides support each other in various multilateral forums and international organizations. Minister of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Eko Putro Sandjojo in his remarks at the 2019 Africa Day in Jakarta, Saturday (05/25). On this occasion, Minister Eko Putro welcomed progressive steps towards the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“We also welcome the progress of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Oncethe agenda runs, it will serve to promote intra African trade and economic integration as well as strengthen Africa's trading position in the global market,” said Eko Putro Sandjojo.

Meanwhile, the Algerian Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdelkader Aziria, who is also the Dean of the 54-member African Ambassador group, said that the existing cooperation between Indonesia and the African continent could increasingly improve the African countries themselves. Africa Day is also commemorated as the day of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity which became the forerunner of the African Union. (VOI/AHM)

Deputy Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Josef Nae Soi echoed President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) promise to build 13 additional dams in NTT to take the total to 20 in the area.

"During his recent visit to NTT, I had the opportunity to converse with the president over increasing the number of dams in the area, and he had made assurance that in the next five years, more dams would be built to reach the total figure of 20," he remarked in Kupang on Friday.

The deputy governor made the statement while delivering a speech at the coordination meeting to discuss steps to accelerate the provision of clean water in the province.

Soi remarked that East Nusa Tenggara was in dire need of water. He pointed out that in other areas, NTT was already identified as a drought-affected area.

Soi noted that from his past experiences, whenever outsiders had expressed interest to work in East Nusa Tenggara, the question that constantly arose was the availability of water and electricity.

"I raise this question that mandates serious attention at this coordination meeting. Firstly, we save the idealistic dimension. We thereafter save discussions that are theories. Now, we must start to give focused attention on what I call the reality dimension, contextual. That is, several people are in desperate need of water, " he emphasized.

The former expert staff of the minister of law and human rights spoke while drawing reference to management science wherein he admitted to being more interested in employing the term collaboration instead of coordination. This is since it emphasizes mutually symbiotic relationships.

He opined that any sectoral ego in coordination is something arbitrary, whereas collaboration entailed a form of give and take.

"This is since the term that has gained greater popularity according to nomenclature is coordination, so it may be used. However, one needs to bear in mind that the term may be coordination, but the connotation is collaboration," he reiterated.

Moreover, the ex-member of the House of Representatives' Commission V revealed that meeting the water demand must not necessitate the use of structures and not debate authority. If regulations are posing a hindrance to meeting the obligation to provide water to the community, they can be discussed to be amended swiftly.

"The point is that the people must be able to access water. How do we provide water to the people? Only then, from here, look for water sources and ways to conserve water. How do we maintain the water resources. Let us work on this together," he stated.

During a visit to Belu District to officiate the Rotiklot Dam, President Jokowi affirmed that water is the key to realizing prosperity in NTT.

"I convey that NTT's prosperity cannot be achieved without water; forget it. The key is water," he stated.

President Jokowi pointed out that if only one dam was built in other provinces, seven were constructed in NTT while work on the Raknamo Dam in Kupang District and Rotiklot Dam had been completed. (ANTARA)