VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Jokow Widodo and Prime Minister Hun Sen in Jakarta, April 24 2021 - 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen after attending the ASEAN Leaders Meeting here on Saturday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said the meeting was held at the Multipurpose Room of the ASEAN Secretariat Building.

Marsudi said the two leaders exchanged ideas on how to improve bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Jokowi raised four issues during the bilateral meeting.

"First, regarding health cooperation, the President emphasized the importance of multilateral vaccine support for equal access to vaccines for all countries.The President also invited Cambodia to strengthen cooperation in pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical equipment," she remarked,The launch of the Dynamic Argon Co Ltd joint venture, which was a collaboration between an Indonesian pharmaceutical company and its partner in Cambodia in 2019, was a good start for health cooperation between the two countries.Jokowi asked for Hun Sen's support for the expansion of Indonesian state-owned and private investment in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment in Cambodia.

Meanwhile, the second issue was on economic cooperation for economic recovery. Jokowi encouraged efforts to increase the volume of trade between the two countries, among others, by having a direct delivery route between the two countries in which Pelindo II was already exploring the plan.

"Regarding investment, the President of the Republic of Indonesia asks for support so that state-owned companies (BUMNs) and private Indonesians can become major development and investment partners in Cambodia. (Projects such as) railway system, train carriages, and floating power plants constructions, tugboats, and other infrastructure projects in Cambodia could be carried out by Indonesia's BUMNs," she said.

Furthermore, the two leaders of the country also discussed defense cooperation. Jokowi was of the view that bilateral cooperation in defense must be further strengthened, among other things by expanding cooperation between Army to Army and encouraging increased education and training activities for military personnel of the two countries.

Jokowi also voiced a need for a synergy between Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand in which in 2022 the three Southeast Asian countries will become chairmen of a number of organizations. Indonesia will the chair of the G-20, Cambodia the chair of ASEAN, and Thailand the chair of APEC.

Accompanying Jokowi in the bilateral meeting included Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Retno Marsudi, and Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung//ANT

KRI Nanggala-402's sailors - 

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani has appealed to all parties involving in a search mission to do their utmost endeavors to locate Indonesia's KRI Nanggala-402, and evacuate 53 sailors on board.

"Our best prayers are with all patriots on board of the KRI Nanggala-402. May the submarine be located, and all sailors on board are found alive," she said in a press statement that ANTARA quoted in Jakarta on Sunday.

She voiced her deep concern over the sinking of this Indonesian Navy's submarine in waters north of Bali Island on early Wednesday as it got prepared for conducting a torpedo drill.

The Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) has declared that KRI Nanggala-402 has sunk after a coordinated search and rescue mission was carried out for 72 hours.

The Indonesian Navy's Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono said earlier that oxygen supply on KRI Nanggala 402 might suffice for five days if the missing submarine did not experience a power blackout."If the ship is not in blackout, or still has electrical capacity, this (oxygen supply) will suffice for five days," Margono told the press here on Saturday.

He, however, said he could not confirm whether a blackout occurred on the German-made submarine when it dove in the waters north of Bali Island Wednesday (April 21, 2021).

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo has asked the TNI and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to do their utmost to locate and rescue the ill-fated submarine.

Contact with the German-made submarine, which was carrying 53 submariners on board, was lost while it was preparing for a torpedo drill in the waters north of Bali, according to Military Commander, Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto.

"The last contact (with the submarine) was made at 4:30 a.m. local time (on April 21, 2021). There was no more contact when the torpedo drill was to be conducted," he informed earlier.

President Widodo said Tjahjanto and the Indonesian navy chief of staff are leading the SAR mission on the ground."This mission's main priority is saving the 53 submariners," he said while urging the families of the sailors to remain patient and wait for the outcome of the SAR efforts.

Widodo also appealed to the entire nation to pray for the safety of the submariners and for the success of the search efforts.

After the submarine went missing, the Indonesian Navy sent out a distress call to the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO).

The navies of several countries, including Australia, Malaysia, India, and Singapore, responded and offered to help search for the missing submarine.

Singapore has sent its MV Swift Rescue, while Malaysia has dispatched its Rescue Mega Bhati to join the search for KRI Nanggala-402 in Bali Island's waters, it added.

The missing 209/1300-type submarine was built in Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in 1977, and was officially inducted into the navy in 1981.Its propulsion system uses a Siemens low-speed diesel electric motor, connected directly to the propeller shaft, which generates about five thousand shaft horsepower (shp).

The electrical power is stored in batteries, which make up 25 percent of the weight of the vessel, according to the navy. Four MTU diesel supercharged engines are responsible for generating electricity in the vessel//ANT

ASEAN reaches five-point consensus on ending Myanmar crisis - 

ASEAN leaders have reached a consensus on handling the political crisis in Myanmar following a military coup against the country's democratically elected government in February this year.

"We recognize ASEAN’s positive and constructive role in facilitating (a) peaceful solution in the interests of the Myanmar people and their livelihood, for which we endorse the five-point consensus," the ASEAN chairman said in a statement issued at the end of the ASEAN leaders’ meeting in Jakarta on Saturday.

The five-point consensus calls for an immediate halt to violence in Myanmar and for all parties to exercise self-restraint, besides a constructive dialog among all interested parties to find a peaceful solution in the interests of the Myanmar people.It also seeks the creation of an ASEAN special envoy to facilitate mediation and dialog with the help of the ASEAN Secretariat General, acceptance of ASEAN's humanitarian assistance through the AHA Center, and a visit by the special envoy and a delegation to Myanmar to meet with all parties involved in the crisis.

In the ASEAN chairman's statement, ASEAN leaders also expressed deep concerns over the situation in Myanmar, including reports of casualties and an escalation of tensions.

They also called for the release of all political detainees, including foreign nationals detained in Myanmar.The ASEAN leader’s meeting is the first coordinated international effort to specifically discuss a solution to the crisis in Myanmar, which has been engulfed in conflict and violence in the wake of the military coup//VOI

President Widodo calls for immediate halt to Myanmar violence - 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called for an immediate halt to violence in Myanmar and the restoration of democracy in the country at the ASEAN leaders’ meeting on Saturday.

"The development of the situation in Myanmar is something unacceptable and must not continue. Violence must be stopped, and democracy, stability, and peace must be restored in Myanmar soon," Widodo said during a press conference at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. 

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Economic Affairs Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung accompanied the President at the press conference.

Saturday’s meeting brought together 10 leaders and representatives of ASEAN member states, including Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, the ASEAN chair, and ASEAN secretary general Dato Lim Jock Hoi.

Commenting on Myanmar’s political crisis and efforts to resolve it, Widodo said: "The interests of the Myanmar people must always be a priority.”

Indonesia made three requests to Myanmar’s military junta chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, at the ASEAN meeting, he disclosed.

"At this meeting, I also underscored the importance of the Myanmar military chief to commit himself, first, to put a halt to the use of violence on the part of the Myanmar military," Widodo said.At the same time, all sides must exercise self-restraint to ease tensions, he added.

"The second request was a commitment to start an inclusive dialog process, and set free political detainees soon," he revealed.

The Indonesia President said he also underscored the need for the creation of an ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, through whom the ASEAN secretary general and the ASEAN chair can encourage dialog with all parties in Myanmar.

"The third request was a commitment to open up access to humanitarian aid from ASEAN, under the coordination of the ASEAN secretary general and the AHA Center (ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management)," Widodo informed.

The Indonesian government is committed to guarding the realization of the three commitments in order to resolve the crisis in Myanmar soon, he said.

"I thank God that what Indonesia conveyed is in line with what ASEAN leaders have conveyed, so we can say ASEAN leaders have reached a consensus," he noted.

He said ASEAN secretary general Dato Lim Jock Ho has come up with a five-point consensus on Myanmar, which is close to Indonesia’s stance on the issue."We should also thank God that the ASEAN leaders’ meeting could eventually be held today. Since I phoned the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam on March 23, 2021 as (ASEAN) chair, Indonesia has worked hard to ensure that the meeting could be held," he added.

ASEAN leaders who took part in the meeting included Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, President Widodo, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Three nations of the 10-member ASEAN were represented by their foreign ministers at the meeting — Philippines (Foreign Minister Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.), Thailand (Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai), and Laos (Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith).

Myanmar’s military chief, General Hlaing, also attended the meeting, which was held at Jakarta’s ASEAN Secretariat//ANT