VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia could play major role in creating peace in the Korean peninsula after the meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, especially after Indonesia has been elected a non permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

"Whatever the result of the Trump-Kim summit meeting would certainly be discussed at the Security Council, and as a non permanent member of the Security Council Indonesia strengthen its diplomacy to create peace in the Korean peninsula," former diplomat Sugeng Rahardjo told Antara news agency in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia could play a more effective role especially as Indonesia has good relations with the United States, North Korea as well as South Korea, Sugeng said.

He said Indonesia also could play a bigger role and show leadership in ASEAN to maintain peace that would contribute to the regional prosperity.

Indonesian relations with North Korea dates back to the era of President Soekarno, he said, adding the two countries also have maintained good trade cooperation though not very big in volume.

"We could use this momentum to promote trade with both North and South Korea even with the United States," the former Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia said. (ANTARA)

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla received a courtesy call from Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Future of Asia at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Kalla and Binh discussed several issues concerning the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Vietnam; Vietnamese fishermen who have legal case in Indonesia; and a plan to determine regional minimum wage in Southeast Asia.

"The meeting with Binh discussed better bilateral relations and investments. They asked us to give legal attention and settlement to Vietnamese fishermen who are still detained in Indonesia," Kalla noted in Tokyo on Tuesday.

During a half-hour closed-door meeting, the two leaders also discussed minimum wage policy for Indonesian and Vietnamese workers in relation to industrial investment in each country.

The difference in minimum wage standards in both countries, in which Vietnam is lower than Indonesia, causes foreign industrial investment to Vietnam to be more desirable than that to Indonesia.

"There is also a discussion on minimum salary for Indonesian and Vietnamese workers, as well as other countries, to avoid continuous pressures by industries. We want to work together, and we have discussed on how to set minimum wages for ASEAN region," Kalla remarked.

According to him, the difference in minimum wage of workers in ASEAN countries causes inequality and industrial competition from foreign investment among ASEAN countries.

Therefore, the Indonesian government supports the minimum wage agreement for workers in ASEAN countries.

"That issue has been explored, and the Ministry of Manpower has also tried to talk about it. I ask them to discuss with the Minister of Labor of Vietnam and also other countries," Kalla revealed.

The International Conference on the Future of Asia is held annually by Nikkei media, Japan, by presenting leaders of Asian countries to discuss current conditions in regional countries.

The conference was also attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, Korean Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-Yeon and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. (ANTARA)

Kazakhstan Ambassador to Indonesia Askhat Orazbay asks Indonesia to continue to focus on global stability after its election as new non permanent member of the U.N. Security Council for 2019-2020.

"The fact that Indonesia has been elected four times as non permanent member of the Security Council indicated international recognition of the role Jakarta could play in promoting global peace," Askhat said in a written statement received by ANTARA news agency in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia was non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1973-1974, 1995-1996, and 2007-2008.

Indonesia will replace Kazakhstan to represent the Asia-Pacific. Kazakhstan will end its term as non permanent member of the Security Council by 31 December 2018 and Indonesia will take over on January 1, in 2019.

Ambassador Askhat said , Indonesia and his country share the same view on major international issues such as reconciliation in Afghanistan, Palestine-Israeli conflict, Syria crisis which are the main priority in the Security Council.

"Including strengthening global stability, coping with terrorism, radicalism and extremism," he said.

He said Kazakhstan and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in June , 25 years earlier. (AS/a014)

President Joko Widodo stated that there were four Indonesian priorities to the UN Security Council’s fourth non-permanent membership.

"We want to strengthen the ecosystem of peace and stability in the world by strengthening the culture of peaceful conflict resolution," he noted in the statement at the Bogor Palace on Tuesday.

Secondly, the head of state remarked that Indonesia wants to strengthen the synergy between the regional organization and the UN Security Council.

Thirdly, Indonesia wants to improve a comprehensive approach in dealing with transnational crime, including terrorism.

"Also, we want to synergize efforts to create peace with the achievement of development agenda 2030," he stated.

The president also called on the foreign minister to prioritize the issue of Palestine.

"The issue of Palestine will be Indonesia’s priority in the UN Security Council," he added.

Widodo also ordered the foreign minister to prepare well in the next six months for Indonesia sitting in the UN Security Council, which would start on January 1, 2019.

"This world’s trust is the responsibility that we have to properly engage," he remarked. (ANTARA)