VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) will be signed at the third annual meeting or Leader's Retreat between Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong in Nusa Dua, Bali on 11 October 2018. The four memorandums of understanding are scheduled to be signed by the minister or minister-level officials, while the other four MoUs will be signed by high officials from relevant institutions / ministries and representatives of State-Owned Enterprises. According to the Director of Southeast Asia of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denny Abdi in a media briefing held in Jakarta, Thursday, October 4, 2018 the eight memoranda of understanding are in the fields of investment cooperation, culture, health, maritime, industry, financial technology, and tourism.

 

"The first is the Agreement on Protection of Investment, the second is the Cultural Cooperation Program for 2019-2022, Concerning Cooperation in the Field of Arts and Heritage, the third is the MoU on Health Cooperation, the fourth is the MoU on Financial Technology Cooperation, the fifth is Instrument of Extension for the MoU Concerning Cooperation on the Human Resources Development on the Maritime Field, the sixth MoU is on the Cooperation for Development and Implementation for Industry 4.0, then the seventh and the eighth MoU are on the Program for Financial Technology Learning for Higher Education and MoU on Cruise Tourism cooperation between Pelindo III and Star Cruise," said Denny Abdi. 

Denny further said that several memorandums of understanding to be signed are a follow-up to the previous meeting between President Jokowi and PM Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore in 2017. At the meeting the two leaders agreed to cooperate in the digital economy which has great potential to be developed by both countries. Singapore as a country that has excellent global connectivity is expected to be a hub for Indonesia to develop and expand the digital economy. Indonesia itself has the potential for good digital economic growth with the large number of internet users, penetration of social media users, and cellular phone customers dominated by millenials or the younger generation. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)

 

Indonesia once again received assistance for handling post-earthquake disasters accompanied by tsunamis that occurred in Palu, Donggala, Sigi, and Parigi Moutong, Central Sulawesi. The assistance provided by New Zealand was in the form of electricity generators or generators, tarpaulins, and water storage containers which were transported using the C-130 Hercules aircraft belonging to the New Zealand Air Force. The plane has now departed for Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu after dropping in at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan on Thursday (4/10). This was conveyed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) Retno Marsudi in a press statement after holding a bilateral meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters in Jakarta, Friday (5/10).

 

"Specifically regarding disaster management, Indonesia expressed its appreciation for the condolences, sympathy and assistance provided by the New Zealand Government to the victims and families of victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi. One New Zealand C-130 aircraft arrived in Balikpapan at 20.47 yesterday local time which brought assistance including generators, tarps, water containers. And the plane will continue the trip to Palu today," said Retno Marsudi. 

In addition, the minister also stated that the New Zealand Government also stated that it would disburse financial assistance worth 5 million New Zealand Dollars or around Rp.49 billion which would then be channeled through the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). (VOI / Rezha/AHM)

 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong will again hold an annual meeting or the third Leader's Retreat on the sidelines of the World Annual Monetary Fund- Bank Group (IMF-WBG) in Nusa Dua, Bali. The two leaders are scheduled to meet on October 11, 2018 or prior to the ASEAN Leaders Gathering which is also held on the same day. On this occasion, the two heads of state will also sign an agreement related to the Promotion of Investment Protection between Indonesia and Singapore. The agreement is a bilateral agreement related to investments signed by Indonesia and friendly countries. In the future the agreement will be used as a model for strengthening investment between Indonesia and friendly countries. This was explained by the Director of Southeast Asia of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denny Abdi in a media briefing session held in Jakarta, Thursday, October 4, 2018.

 

"We also encourage investment cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore at that time before the head of state sign an agreement regarding the promotion of investment protection between Indonesia and Singapore. So if you might have known, since 2014 the Indonesian government reviewed the approval of bilateral investment treaty between Indonesia and friendly countries. Now what will be signed with Singapore will be the first bilateral investment treaty that Indonesia has signed with a friendly country. So that it is expected that in the future it will become a model for strengthening investment between Indonesia and friendly countries," said Denny Abdi. 

In addition to focusing on increasing investment cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore, Denny said the meeting between President Jokowi and PM Lee Hsien Loong would also discuss increasing cooperation in training and education. Singapore, which has excellence in the education sector, is expected to become a partner for Indonesia to increase the ability and competitiveness of the young generation in Indonesia, which is quite large. Furthermore, Denny explained that the form of cooperation included the establishment of polytechnics that adopt the Singapore education system and curriculum. One of the polytechnics has been established in Kendal Industrial Park, Central Java and focuses on the furniture or furniture industry. In the future, according to Denny, similar polytechnics will be re-established in a number of regions in Indonesia with different focus in each region. Then at the same time the Indonesian Government will also send Indonesian students to get training and education in a number of educational institutions or institutions in Singapore. (VOI / Rezha/AHM) 

 

Ten heads of state or heads of government of ASEAN member countries are scheduled to hold an ASEAN Leaders Gathering meeting on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank or the World Bank Group (IMF-WBG) in Nusa Dua, Bali. The meeting is scheduled to be held on October 11, 2018 and specifically will discuss efforts to increase ASEAN synergy with international efforts related to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and ASEAN 2025 Vision. Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir in media briefing in Jakarta, Thursday, October 4 2018 said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund will attend the meeting.

 

"It is deliberately held back to back with the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting. Well, the IMF World Bank is actually a ministerial level meeting. However, for this time Indonesia has invited 10 ASEAN countries led by the heads of state and the heads of government to be present at this meeting. The main objective of the ASEAN Leaders Gathering meeting is to take advantage of the presence of the UN Secretary General, the President of the World Bank and the Managing Director of the IMF to discuss and enhance synergies related to the sustainable development of ASEAN countries as well as international efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The theme of the meeting was Achieving SDGs and Overcoming Development Goals Through Regional and Global Collaborative Action," said Armanatha Nasir. 

Arrmanatha further explained that the meeting initiated by Indonesia would also try to discuss measures to strengthen stability, integration and accelerate economic development in the Southeast Asian region. This meeting will also be used by ASEAN to demonstrate the successful development of ASEAN member countries in the past 50 years. Arrmanatha said that ASEAN today is an area with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2.5 trillion US dollars. The GDP has managed to put ASEAN as a region with the sixth largest economy in the world and third in Asia with an average growth of 4.8 percent or above the world average growth. According to Arrmanatha, ASEAN is currently working to maintain stable growth and ensure fair growth, maintain growth and resilience in the context of the economy. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)