Jakarta – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) of Indonesia has directed four ministries, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), and businesspeople to conduct trade and investment cooperation with Papua New Guinea.
He made the command while giving a press statement greeting Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and his wife, Rachael Marape, to the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java province on Thursday.
The news conference was streamed live on YouTube by the Presidential Secretariat.
According to Jokowi, the development of a bilateral investment agreement between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is critical.
As a result, he tasked State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, and Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi with assisting investors from both nations.
Furthermore, the President stressed the significance of communication between the two nations by land, sea, and air.
As a result, Indonesian construction firms are anticipated to investigate potential for the development of transportation facilities and infrastructure in Papua New Guinea.
Regarding the bilateral meeting, the President expressed his thanks and admiration for Marape, who has persisted to deepen bilateral collaboration despite the COVID-19 epidemic.
“I also applaud the Papua New Guinea government and Prime Minister Marape’s steadfast position in respecting Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marape stated that he is looking forward to the execution and continuation of the bilateral partnership that has been established at both the government and corporate levels.
“We aim to expand our relationship, particularly in the commercial and business areas. For a long time, we were solely concerned with border concerns. However, my discussions with President (Jokowi) have shifted to trade, public services, and education,” he continued.