REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) encouraged China to carry out development cooperation in the Indonesian Capital City (IKN), one of which is in the transportation sector. Jokowi also encouraged the implementation of strategic projects in the North Kalimantan industrial area for investment in the petrochemical sector.
This was conveyed Indonesia Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi after accompanying President Jokowi to meet Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Thursday (Apr.18, 2024).
"Another thing is still in the field of economic cooperation, the President is encouraging development cooperation in IKN, including for modes of transportation," Retno said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta.
According to Foreign Minister Retno, President Jokowi also emphasized the importance of the two countries increasing mutually beneficial economic cooperation. In the field of trading, for example, trading volume is encouraged to continue to increase and be more balanced.
"So it is very much more balanced in terms of bilateral trade between the two countries," he said.
Jokowi also hopes that market access for Indonesian products to China will continue to be opened, including completing protocols for imports of Indonesian agricultural and fishery products. Meanwhile, in the field of food security, Jokowi emphasized the importance of increasing agricultural cooperation between the two countries, including rice, horticulture and also durian.
In this meeting, the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train and the Surabaya high-speed train were also discussed. Jokowi encouraged technology transfer in operating the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train as well as accelerating the completion of the feasibility study for extending the route to Surabaya.
"Mr President spoke about the issue of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train and encouraged technology transfer, as well as the need to accelerate the completion of feasibility studies for extending the route to Surabaya," she added.
Retno said that detailed discussions regarding high-speed trains would continue tomorrow at the high-level dialogue on the cooperation mechanism in Labuan Bajo.
"I said earlier about the economy, including the issue of high-speed trains, etc. tomorrow it will be discussed in Labuan Bajo. I said earlier at the HDCM forum, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, I, and the PRC will be chaired by Foreign Minister Wang Yi," she said.
