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UAE President Discusses Ties With Indonesian President-Elect

During the call, His Highness expressed to the Indonesian Defence Minister his best wishes for success in the recent presidential elections…reports Asian Lite News

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Minister of Defence and president-elect, spoke by telephone yesterday to discuss the strategic relationship between the UAE and Indonesia.

Their discussion focussed particularly on the defence sector, exploring avenues to further develop and enhance this partnership for the mutual benefit of both countries and their peoples.

During the call, His Highness expressed to the Indonesian Defence Minister his best wishes for success in the recent presidential elections, as well as for continued progress and prosperity for Indonesia and its people.

He highlighted the significant advancements in UAE-Indonesia relations across various sectors in recent years.

Meanwhile, President Sheikh Mohamed also held a telephone call outgoing President of Indonesia Joko Widodo.

During the call, they reviewed the development of strategic bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic and investment fields, that serves sustainable economic development and benefits the peoples of both nations.

Sheikh Mohamed extended his congratulations to President Widodo on the successful organisation of recent presidential elections in Indonesia, acknowledging the significant efforts to enhance relations between the UAE and Indonesia across various domains. These efforts, he noted, have greatly contributed to the ongoing prosperity of both nations.

The Indonesian President expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Mohamed, sharing his pride in the growth of their bilateral ties and offering his best wishes for the UAE’s continued development and prosperity.

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Indonesia gears up for crucial polls

Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president….reports Asian Lite News

Tens of thousands of supporters of Indonesia’s presidential candidates have descended onto the country’s streets, including in Jakarta and other cities, to see their last-ditch campaigns before heading to the polls in the world’s biggest single-day election, according to Al Jazeera.

Popular former governors Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, as well as former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto–who has surged in opinion surveys with the president’s tacit support and the incumbent’s son as his running mate–are the contenders to head the third-largest democracy in the world.

Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president.

On Saturday, over 80,000 supporters of opponent Baswedan flocked to a stadium in the megalopolis of Jakarta, while about 100,000 people flocked to the main stadium in the capital city of Jakarta to demonstrate in favor of front-runner Subianto, reported Al Jazeera.

The 72-year-old former military dictator Subianto, who serves as Indonesia’s current minister of defense, is attempting to change the perception of him as a ruthless army leader with a track record of violating human rights.

With the backing of several other parties, Subianto, the leader of the right-wing Gerindra political party, has chosen the controversial 36-year-old Gibran Rakambuming Raka as his running mate.

Thousands of Subianto fans gathered at a Jakarta stadium wearing his trademark light blue clothing.

Alongside Subianto in the race is Mahfud MD, 66, a former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security matters. Both men have positioned themselves as individuals with modest backgrounds who are familiar with Indonesian culture.

The former Jakartan governor, Baswedan, is also a contender; he is running as an independent. After receiving his schooling in the US, the 54-year-old entered academics before entering politics to serve as an education minister, reported Al Jazeera.

The 57-year-old leader of the National Awakening Party, who leads Indonesia’s largest Muslim political party, Muhaimin Iskander, is his opponent.

During a grand final rally on Saturday, supporters of Baswedan crowded an 82,000-seat stadium in Jakarta while reciting Islamic prayers. To guarantee a seat to view the politician, some people spent the night.

From Sunday to election day, there will be a cooling-off period during which candidates and their running mates will attempt to become the next president of Indonesia after the outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, who has served two five-year terms and is not eligible to run again.

While voting is not required, according to the nation’s election commission, 81 per cent of Indonesia’s 270 million citizens are registered to vote, and over 204 million of them cast ballots in 2019. There are 18 national political parties in Indonesia, and candidates are able to run for 575 parliamentary seats.

Supporters also turned out in their tens of thousands for the final rallies of his rival candidates — former provincial governors Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo — in the battle to lead the massive, Muslim-majority nation.

Third-time candidate Subianto, the current defense minister, is leading Baswedan and Pranowo by double digits in polls ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

“Me, my father and mother have supported Prabowo continuously since 2014,” said Novita Agustina, a 24-year-old first-time voter who traveled four hours to see the ex-general speak.

She lauded his work as defense minister and shrugged off rights groups’ concerns about his track record, saying criticism was “just attacks from opponents… I don’t want to hear anything bad.”

Others praised his tenacity in running a third time for the presidency.

The crowd at the national stadium cheered as the 72-year-old Subianto launched into a characteristically fiery address.

“We will fight to bring prosperity for all people of Indonesia,” he said. “We will continue what was already being built by previous presidents.”

Many Subianto supporters wore blue shirts, some emblazoned with an AI cartoon image of his face that has become synonymous with his campaign.

Subianto has campaigned on a pledge to eradicate extreme poverty, provide free school meals to children and milk to pregnant women, and continue President Joko Widodo’s development drive. The capital’s streets were brought to a standstill by throngs of scooters and cars heading to the rallies.

The entrances to the stadium in north Jakarta where Baswedan addressed supporters became so packed that several people fainted, according to an AFP journalist there. Many had camped overnight for the event.

“We want to witness change,” said Endang Pujiati, a retired school teacher who drove hours to attend Baswedan’s rally. “Anies is a trustworthy person, that’s why he could be a good leader.”

Pranowo was holding two events on Saturday in the cities of Semarang and Surakarta, Central Java province, which he used to govern.

More than 204 million Indonesians will choose their next president, parliamentarians and thousands of local officials on February 14.

They will cast their ballots at more than 800,000 polling booths across the volcano-dotted archipelago. After Saturday’s rallies the candidates will observe three quiet campaign days before the vote.

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UAE President Discusses Bilateral Ties Indonesian President

They addressed several regional and international issues of mutual interest…reports Asian Lite News

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia, held a phone call to discuss bilateral relations and ways to enhance ties, particularly in development areas, as part of the comprehensive economic partnership between the two countries.

They also addressed several regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During the call, His Highness extended his congratulations to the Indonesian President on Mubadala Energy’s recent significant natural gas discovery in Indonesia. He emphasised that this signifies substantial progress in UAE-Indonesia relations, especially in the energy sector.

Furthermore, His Highness expressed his hope that this discovery would notably contribute to the development and welfare of the Indonesian people.

The President of Indonesia acknowledged the robust economic ties between the UAE and Indonesia, emphasising their productive collaboration in the energy and renewables sectors. He conveyed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his comprehensive support of these ties.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing collaboration aimed at broadening shared interests and advancing economic, trade, and investment ties for the mutual benefit of both nations and peoples.

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Indonesia’s Tourism Fund to Ignite Visitor Allure

The tourism fund, set to be launched in early 2024, would manage an initial fund at 2 trillion rupiahs ($129 million) to support the promotion of tourism events…reports Asian Lite News


A minister stated that the Indonesian government is presently creating a tourism fund to foster sustainable tourism development and enhance visitor attraction in the country.

Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the tourism fund, set to be launched in early 2024, would manage an initial fund at 2 trillion rupiahs ($129 million) to support the promotion of tourism events and improve the nation branding of Indonesia’s tourism in the global market, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We will use the fund to support both national and international events, such as sports, music, and cultural arts, which will be held here in Indonesia.

“This also includes high-level summits that may not directly be related to tourism, because international conferences also bring economic impacts,” Uno told reporters.

Bali or Bvlgari, why millennials choose travel experiences over material possessions.(photo:IANSLIFE)

There will be at least three international-scale events to be hosted by Indonesia in 2024, namely BWF Badminton World Tour-Indonesia Masters, the 10th World Water Forum and Indonesia MotoGP in Mandalika.

That agenda, Uno said, was expected to help the post-Covid recovery in Indonesia’s tourism sector.

According to the Indonesia Statistics (BPS), from January to October, Indonesia recorded 9.49 million tourist arrivals, higher than the government’s target of 7.4 million at the beginning of this year.

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Tragedy Strikes as Mount Merapi Eruption Claims 11 Lives

Located on the border of the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Mount Merapi has erupted regularly since 1548…reports Asian Lite News

Eleven climbers died and some others remain missing following the eruption of Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia located in the Sumatra Island, a rescue official said on Monday.

“In the first stage, 49 climbers were found. They all survived and were taken to hospital, and some have returned home. In the second stage, we found 14 people, three survived and 11 others died,” head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency Abdul Malik told Xinhua news agency.

The climbers were on their way to the foot of the mountain amid the eruption.

Authorities have deployed nearly 100 people to search for a total of 75 recorded climbers.

Mount Merapi, which is as high as 2,891 meters above sea level, erupted on Sunday, spewing a column of ash of 3,000 meters, spreading volcanic ash and rocks into the surrounding area.

The authorities have prohibited people from being in the danger zone within a 3-km radius of the main crater.

Located on the border of the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Mount Merapi has erupted regularly since 1548.

A major eruption in 2010 killed 353 people and displaced over 20,000 residents.

Since 2010, Merapi had experienced several smaller eruptions, most noticeably two phreatic eruptions which occurred in November 2013 and May 2018.

In July this year, Merapi had erupted 16 times in just 24 hours

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Indonesia Opens New Abu Dhabi Embassy

Marsudi said the opening of the new embassy in Abu Dhabi signifies the friendship between her country and the UAE, which she hoped would grow stronger by time….reports Asian Lite News

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has inaugurated the new embassy headquarters of her country in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State.

In her opening address, Marsudi said the opening of the new embassy in Abu Dhabi signifies the friendship between her country and the UAE, which she hoped would grow stronger by time.

She praised the UAE as a strategic partner of Indonesia, expressing her hope for a stronger strategic partnership that serve mutual interests of both countries.

The top diplomat also expressed her thanks to H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his supportive role in strengthening bilateral relations.

The ceremony was attended by Husin Bagis, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the UAE, and a number of officials from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking at the event, Husin Bagis said the ties between the two nations have been steadily growing since the UAE established its diplomatic relations with Indonesia in 1976.

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Indian-American Named US Ambassador to Indonesia

A career Foreign Service Officer, Lakhdhir has served in the Department of State for almost 30 years, most recently as an executive secretary….reports Asian Lite News

Indian-origin former State Department official Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir has been picked by President Joe Biden to serve as US Ambassador to Indonesia.

A career Foreign Service Officer, Lakhdhir has served in the Department of State for almost 30 years, most recently as an executive secretary.

Before serving as the US Ambassador to Malaysia from 2017 until 2021, she served as the Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and from 2009 through 2011 she served as the US Consul General in Northern Ireland.

Joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Lakhdhir first served at the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia and was the Director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asian Affairs, which includes responsibility for US relations with Indonesia.

Early in her career, she was Deputy Coordinator of the Taiwan Coordination Staff in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Her other overseas assignments were in China, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

Born to an Indian father and American mother, Lakhdhir earned a B A from Harvard College and an MS from the National War College.

Her languages are Chinese and Bahasa Indonesia.

Growing up in Westport, Connecticut, Lakhdhir’s father immigrated to the US from Mumbai to attend the University of California, Berkeley in the 1940s.

In an interview published in the National Museum of American Diplomacy, Lakhdhir says her “international career began as a child” as a result of her parents’ rich international background and family trips abroad.

The experiences encouraged Lakhdhir to begin her career overseas as a teacher in China for two years after graduating from Harvard College in 1986.

According to the website, she largely credits her connection to her Indian heritage to her mother, who exposed her and her brother to South Asian culture.

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Pre-Summit Pollution Fight in Indonesia

There have been increasing cases of acute respiratory infections since early this year caused by air pollution…reports Asian Lite News

Indonesia is gearing up to combat air pollution ahead of the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), scheduled in the capital city of Jakarta early next month.

The current severe air pollution in Jakarta, one of the most polluted regions of the world, has led to increasing health problems among the public, reports Xinhua news agency.

There have been increasing cases of acute respiratory infections since early this year caused by air pollution, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Agus Dwi Susanto, who heads the Ministry’s respiratory disease control, said that in 2022 the monthly average number of cases related to acute respiratory infections in Jakarta and its surrounding cities was under 100,000.

“Between January and this month, it has shockingly been above 100,000,” he said, adding that only in August his office recorded some 200,000 cases.

Susanto called on the public who have outdoor activities with a duration of more than eight hours to always wear anti-pollution masks.

Last week, investigators with the country’s Environment and Forestry Ministry took legal action against people and businesses that contribute to air pollution in the city.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta administration and city police recently dispatched fire trucks to spray water on major roads across the capital, saying that it would wash away dust and other pollutants that contribute to air pollution.

The city administration has called on government institutions as well as private businesses to implement work-at-home scheme particularly during the summit.

On Monday, Indonesia launched its autonomous light rail transit train to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in the highly populated capital Jakarta.

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US, 6 Other Nations Hold War Drills

The commanding general of US Army Pacific, Gen. Charles Flynn, said the 19 nations involved in the training are a powerful demonstration of multilateral solidarity to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific

Soldiers from the US, Indonesia and five other nations began annual training exercises Thursday on Indonesia’s main island of Java while China’s increasing aggression is raising concern.

American and Indonesian soldiers have held the live-fire Super Garuda Shield drills since 2009, and Australia, Japan and Singapore joined last year. The United Kingdom and French forces are participating in this year’s exercises, with a total of about 5,000 personnel.

China sees the expanded drills as a threat, accusing the US of building an Indo-Pacific alliance similar to NATO to limit China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in the region.

Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, and East Timor also sent observers to the two-week exercises in Baluran, a coastal town in East Java province.

The commanding general of US Army Pacific, Gen. Charles Flynn, said the 19 nations involved in the training are a powerful demonstration of multilateral solidarity to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“Super Garuda Shield 2023 builds on last year’s tremendous success,” Flynn said in a statement released by the US Embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday, “This joint, multinational training exercise displays our collective commitment and like-minded unity, allowing for a stable, secure, and more peaceful, free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The statement said at least 2,100 US and 1,900 Indonesian forces will enhance their interoperability capabilities through training and cultural exchanges that include a command and control simulation, an amphibious exercise, airborne operations, an airfield seizure exercise, and a combined joint field training that culminates with a live-fire event.

Garuda Shield is being held in several places, including in waters around Natuna at the southern portion of the South China Sea, a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China.

Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, but Jakarta has expressed concern about what it sees as Chinese encroachment in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

The edge of the exclusive economic zone overlaps with Beijing’s unilaterally declared “nine-dash line” demarking its claims in the South China Sea.

Increased activities by Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing boats in the area have unnerved Jakarta, prompting Indonesia’s navy to conduct a large drill in July 2020 in waters around Natuna.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi commented Thursday on China’s newly published “Standard Map,” which shows its territorial claims in the South China Sea crossing over the maritime exclusive economic zones of Malaysia near Sabah and Sarawak, and several other countries such as Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

She urged China to respect international law, saying the “drawing of any (territorial) lines or any claims must be in accordance” with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday called on other countries to refrain from “over-interpreting” the map.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected China’s “unilateral claims” and said the map is “not binding” for Malaysia.

India lodged a formal objection on Tuesday over the map, which shows Arunachal Pradesh and the Doklam Plateau, over which the two sides have feuded, as being within China’s borders.

The Philippines on Thursday said the map was China’s latest attempt to claim sovereignty over Philippine features and maritime zones and said it has no basis under international law.

Vietnam also protested that the map and the “nine-dash line” claims violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly islands and jurisdiction over its waters and must be void because they violate international law, particularly UNCLOS.

As in the previous 15 iterations, Garuda Shield featured a range of activities and capabilities, including weapons interoperability and field coordination, satellite support and identification, friend or foe systems, and jungle survival and urban terrain training. Amphibious operations and an airfield seizure exercise were also conducted.

Super Garuda Shield built upon previous exercises, allowing personnel to test equipment and procedures, and giving the U.S. a better understanding of the defense infrastructure needs of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, also known as the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) and other allied and partner militaries, Dr. Teuku Rezasyah, a lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Indonesia’s Padjadjaran University.

Super Garuda Shield also enabled the TNI to expand collaboration and experimentation with combined and joint forces as part of USARPAC’s Operation Pathways, which is a symbol of regional friendships and cooperation.

“I’m proud to see how Garuda Shield has grown since last year — expanding this summer to a joint, multinational exercise that includes all of our service components,” Flynn said. “It’s a symbol of the U.S.-Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region … because land forces are the glue that binds the region’s security architecture together. We do that together by building readiness, building relationships and by building trust. Bringing our forces together like this, we stitch the fabric of regional security into something lasting.”

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UAE Targets $50B In Trade With Turkey, Indonesia

The CEPAs are projected to boost the value of bilateral non-oil trade with Indonesia to more than $10 billion and Turkey to around $40 billion within next five years…reports Asian Lite News

Two of the United Arab Emirates’ Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements have come into force today, promising to deliver a new era of trade and investment cooperation with two rapidly emerging global economies.

With agreements, the UAE is aiming to achieve bilateral trade with the two nations to a total of $50 billion in five years, according to reports.

The UAE-Türkiye CEPA and the UAE-Indonesia CEPA will now remove or reduce tariffs on a vast array of goods, eliminate unnecessary barriers to trade, and establish pathways for investment into priority sectors such as logistics, energy, food production, fintech, e-commerce, as well as travel and tourism.

These are now the third and fourth of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements to come into force, following on from the successful roll-out of CEPAs with India, which was implemented in May 2022, and Israel, which was introduced in April 2023. As such, they are the latest components of a foreign trade agenda that seeks to establish stronger economic ties with strategically important nations around the world.

The UAE-Indonesia CEPA, which was signed in Abu Dhabi in July 2022, is projected to boost the value of bilateral non-oil trade from its current US$4.08 billion to more than US$10 billion within five years. The agreement also seeks to raise the combined value of trade in services between the two nations to US$630 million by 2030. Under the terms of the CEPA, more than 80 percent of UAE exports to Indonesia will now be exempt from customs duties.

The UAE-Indonesian economic partnership also seeks to develop the rapidly expanding Islamic economy, which is projected to reach US$3.2 trillion by 2024, while accelerating the implementation of investment projects worth US$10 billion in sectors such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and logistics.

The UAE-Türkiye CEPA has eliminated or reduced customs duties on 82 percent of product lines, which account for more than 93 percent of the value of bilateral non-oil trade. In 2022, Türkiye was the fastest growing of the UAE’s top ten trading partners, with non-oil trade climbing 40 percent to US$18.9 billion. The newly liberalized trading environment will see this rise to US$40 billion within the next five years.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said, “The implementation of our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Türkiye and Indonesia marks a significant step forward in our foreign trade program. Both agreements will unlock a range of opportunities for our private sector in two of the world’s most dynamic centers of growth, and help broaden our network of trade partnerships with strategically important markets – both regionally and globally.

He added, “These agreements have been strategically crafted to invigorate and streamline the movement of non-oil trade, ensuring resilient supply chains and fostering opportunities for partnerships among the business communities in each partner country. These agreements will act as catalysts for channeling investments into promising sectors including energy, logistics, tourism, the Islamic economy, agriculture, and more.”

He stressed that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements play a vital role in attaining the nation’s objectives, in particular the vision laid out in “We The UAE 2031”, which seeks to double the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade to AED 4 trillion and elevate national exports to AED800 billion. The recently published statistics from H1, 2023, which show a record non-oil foreign trade value of AED1.239 trillion for the first six months of the year, demonstrate that the UAE is firmly on track – and that the CEPA program will help maintain this upward trajectory.

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