Jakarta, Nov 4 (Antara) - Indonesia and Finland are moving closer to stepping up bilateral relations, focusing on renewable energy and economic cooperation.
"We welcomed 11 top Finnish companies which want to do business in the fields of energy, information technology," Indonesian Prresident Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said in a joint statement with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday.
Bringing along with him executives of 11 top Finnish firms, President Niinisto is on a visit in Indonesia to discuss various topics of mutual concern, including regional and global issues as well as economic cooperation.
In a meeting on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto agreed to cooperate in various fields.
"We welcomed 11 top Finnish companies which want to do business in the fields of energy, information technology and infrastructure," Jokowi said.
According to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, both leaders discussed several bilateral matters, particularly cooperation focused on renewable energy and information technology.
"Indonesia and Finland agreed to explore cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and information technology. In terms of renewable energy, we will utilize the peatland areas," Marsudi stated.
According to Marsudi, peatlands cover about one-third of Finland's territory. The peatlands are utilized by the state as a source of renewable energy through the use of technology.
"The country has utilized peatlands as a source of renewable energy through the use of technology. About five to seven percent of energy is sourced from peatlands," she pointed out.
Therefore, Indonesia is keen to explore cooperation in the field of renewable energy in order to benefit from Finland's technology.
"Indonesia has numerous peatlands in several provinces," she remarked.
In a meeting between Jokowi and Niinisto on Tuesday, Indonesia asked Finland to cooperate in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The two heads of state witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Indonesia could learn from Finland's experience in handling peatlands as they cover about one-third of Finland's territory.
"Peatlands cover about one-third of Finland's territory. We should manage the peatland areas properly," Secretary of State Pratikno stated meanwhile.
Pratikno noted that Finland and Canada have managed to utilize the peatland areas as a source of renewable energy.
"We must improve the management of peatlands," he emphasized.
"The peatland areas are not just an Indonesian problem. Other countries too faced similar problems, and they managed to deal with them. We too have to succeed," he affirmed.
In the trade sector, both heads of state agreed to set a trade target for 2016 worth one billion US dollars. "We agreed to continue increasing the investment to reach 3.6 million US dollars in 2015," Jokowi said.
In 2014, the value of trade between the two countries reached about US$780 million.
Meanwhile, the value of Finnish investments in Indonesia also increased significantly, from US$800 thousand in 2013 to US$3.6 million in 2014.
In a joint press conference on Tuesday, Jokowi said that Indonesia also offered cooperation in the field of digital economy. He said Indonesia is the biggest digital economic state in Southeast Asia. The Indonesian President asked major Finnish companies in the field of information technology to take advantage of this momentum.
"We also discussed global issues. We pay the same attention to refugees from the Middle East. I stressed the importance of settling the conflict peacefully in keeping with our tolerant culture," said Jokowi.
Both heads of state also discussed the issue of climate change.
"I pointed out Indonesia's commitment, hoping that industrial states will showcase their efforts to reduce (gas) emissions and provide support for implementation (of emission reduction) in developing countries," noted Jokowi.
On this occasion, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto expressed his concern over the haze disaster in Indonesia.
"I am saddened to learn that the haze disaster has claimed lives. On behalf of the people of Finland, I express deep condolences," said President Niinisto
"Finland and Indonesia enjoy a very close cooperation. Our cooperation relations are based on a tradition which was established 61 years ago. One of the important milestones in our relations was the Helsinki agreement on Aceh Peace," said Niinisto.
He said that economic cooperation is the focus of his current state visit to Indonesia.
"I am happy, bringing together experts and businessmen from Finland. I am pleased to have identified advantageous sectors. We discussed economic and energy sectors. We also had the opportunity to discuss cooperation in the education sector," President Niinisto stated.
In the meantime, the Jakarta government is interested in cooperating with Finland's government in the field of electric bus technology and waste water management.
Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama expressed the interest after receiving the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto on Wednesday.
"We discussed the electric bus issue. Finland already has the electric bus technology," Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said.
If the electric bus technology can be implemented in Jakarta, it can be used for Transjakarta buses or other buses operating in the capital city. "By operating an electric bus, we can save energy," he said.
According to Basuki, the two sides also discussed the issue of waste water management technology, which is applied in Finland. "Finland is one of the countries that have best management of waste water. We can learn from them," he remarked.***3***(A014/b003/B003)(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 05-11-2015 00:31: |
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