VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Vice president, Jusuf Kalla attended Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership in Jakarta, on Monday (23/7). The event which was held by the House of Representatives was attended by 13 delegations from 14 countries in Pacific region. The meeting has a theme "Human Development and Maritime Sustainability" which focuses on encouraging human resources and sustainable development of maritime country in the Pacific. In his speech, Vice President Jusuf Kalla encouraged the increasing of multilateral connectivity in blue economy because Pacific countries are maritime countries in Pacific Ocean.

“Blue Growth concept is a concept where we have three things which should be noticed, namely the income which is obtained from the maritime activity. Secondly, conservation and protection of marine ecosystem. And social culture, characteristic community which connect all of us. Basically, we have social cultural relations” he stated.

Meanwhile, chairman of the House of Representatives, Bambang Soesatyo as the host also expressed his gratitude for the participation of Pacific countries in improving multilateral cooperation in maritime. Bambang also said that Indonesia as a maritime country with the most and widest islands has a potential as a great country as it is the fourth most influential country in the world. Indonesia also contributes in various forum and events of world maritime cooperation.  Countries participating in Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership were Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Island, Solomon Island, Tonga, Tuvalu, Polynesia dan New Caledonia. (KBRN/RIZKI/TRANS YATI/AHM)

Indonesia became host of Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership on Monday (23/7) in Jakarta. The event which was held by the House of Representatives, was attended by 13 delegations of the parliament from 14 countries in Pacific region. On the opening of the event, Chairman of Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency, the House of Representative, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf said that the House of Representative wants to encourage and to improve international cooperation, either in the region or the world, one of them by encouraging the realization of the Indo-Pacific idea. Through the event, the House of Representatives invited parliament of the countries in Asia-South Pacific region change view and seek solutions together on international problem which are faced by the region.  

“As we aware the objective of this meeting is to promote better linkage, therefore we must embrace topics that are of the interest of our mandate as a representative of our people. After carried considerations, the committee under my leadership has decided on three topics under the umbrella of primary theme: Human Development and Marine Sustainability” she stated.

Nurhayati further explained that the session discussed on development of natural and Human resources in Pacific region, blue economic issue and development of capacity. The discussion focused on the context of parliament's involvement and mandate to deeply follow up on those issues. Through the event, the House of Representativessupported the implementation of Indonesia’s foreign politic which based on principle of free active and pro-active in creating world which is safe, prosperous and fair. The opening of Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership was also attended by vice president Jusuf Kalla, chairman of the House of Representatives, Bambang Soesatyo and vice of foreign affairs minister, AM Fachir.//TRANS-YATI// (voi/sekar)

The Government of Indonesia and Malaysia agree to increase cooperation regarding negative campaigns against palm oil products in the European Union. The deal was reached during a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Foreign Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah in Jakarta on Monday July 23.

"We agreed to increase cooperation to counter the negative campaign against palm products in the European Union," said the foreign minister.

In the meantime, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Indonesia and Malaysia as the two largest palm oil producer countries in the world should cooperate in maintaining the palm oil market in Europe.

"Both countries are the largest producers of palm oil products in the world, so we have to be compact. We agree that both countries should intensify discussions and cooperation because this issue is so big," Saifuddin said.

Furthermore, the two Ministers also agreed to play their respective roles in order to issue a negative campaign against palm products in the European Union region to be managed in a structured manner.

"We need to work more closely with this palm oil issue," said the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.

On June 14, 2018, a trio meeting between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Union Council produced several points on palm oil products. However, there is no special or explicit reference to palm oil in the deal. The result of the trialogous meeting is also not a ban or restriction of palm oil or biofuel imports.

Furthermore, the relevant provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II are intended only to regulate the extent to which certain biofuel can be calculated by EU member states to achieve their sustainable energy targets.

However, the approved RED II text stipulates that the contributions of certain categories of bio-fuels, particularly those that have a high risk of indirect land-use change (ILUC) and from the expansion of food or raw materials, the production area of which is significantly the land with high carbon stocks, will be limited at the consumption level of 2019.

The Indonesian government considers that the draft EU trio results would use ILUC as a criterion, reflecting a more European view of the unilateral than internationally accepted views. (ANTARA)

Connectivity between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam will be growing because one of the Indonesian private airlines in the near future will soon fly from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam. The realization of the flight route is a concrete form of the 4th Joint Commission Meeting for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) Indonesia-Brunei Darussalam which for the first time involves entrepreneurs from both countries. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in a press statement with Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam Erywan Yusof, at Pancasila Building, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, Friday July 20th, 2018.

“For economic cooperation, for the first time in JCBC there is a business meeting conducted on the sidelines of this JCBC meeting. In that business meeting one MoU was signed between Sriwijaya Air and Syarikat Syarikat Kejuruteraan Bumiputera Belait Sdn Bhd for flight from Bandar Seri Begawan to Balikpapan.  We also agreed to improve the business to business relationship because it is a very important thing to improve the economic cooperation of both parties,” Retno Marsudi said.

Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Sujatmiko, through a press release on Thursday, July 19, 2018 said the business meeting that was part of the 4th JCBC was held in one hotel in Jakarta one day before the second bilateral Foreign Minister meeting. The business meeting was followed by nine companies from Brunei Darussalam and 15 Indonesian companies engaged in information technology, consulting, property, education, food, animal husbandry, tourism, and oil and gas. Through these business meetings, each party from both countries provides exposure on business opportunities, regulation, and business potential, by the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) and the Foreign Ministry and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. Some positive notes from the business meeting include interest in opening joint ventures and joint ventures by entrepreneurs from both countries. To follow up on this, entrepreneurs from both countries have agreed to hold the next business meeting in Brunei Darussalam in the near future. (VOI/Rezha/DP)