President Jokowi Hopes for Immediate Implementation of REDD+ Scheme
President Jokowi speaks with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende, at the Merdeka Palace, on Tuesday (31/5)
President Joko Jokowi Widodo has asked Norway to accelerate the implementation of the scheme to mitigate climate change called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+).
Relations between Indonesia and Norway are in good condition and Norway is one of Indonesias main partners, President Jokowi added.
President Jokowi made the statement during a meeting with Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende, at the Merdeka Palace, on Tuesday (31/5).
In the meantime, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi after the meeting said that President Jokowi conveyed two prioritized cooperation between Indonesia and Norway – the first one being on the implementation of the scheme to mitigate climate change called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) that has been done since 2010 and the second one being on cooperation on the fishery sector.
The Indonesia-Norway REDD+ cooperation is divided into three phases; the first being the preparation stage, the second the transformation stage, and the last the contributions-for-verified emission reductions.
Were currently at the transition between the first phase and the second phase. President Jokowi also said that he hopes the implementation of the cooperation can be accelerated and he also hopes for closer cooperation between Norway and the Indonesian Ministry of the Environment and Forestry and the Peat Land Restoration Agency, Retno said.
As for the cooperation on the fishery sector, several months ago Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti visited Norway to have a meeting with Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss a number of fishery issues, including the eradication of the Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing, fish farming, and the responsible and sustainable management of fish, Retno said.
Retno added that both countries also have a big potential in cooperation on the energy sector, especially on hydropower.
The Norway Minister of Foreign Affairs said that almost 100 percent of energy used in Norway comes from hydropower and several investors in Norway have made investment in hydropower sector, Retno said.
In the meantime, Minister Brende expressed Norways intention to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia on the energy sector.
Trade and investment cooperation between the two countries continue to rise because Norway has what it is called the Pension Fund, which is one of the biggest in the world, and has invested US$1.2 billion from Pension Fund in Indonesia, he said.
Norway also considers Indonesia as a country with stable political situation and economic growth and as a country with the biggest Moslem population in the world that is democratic and tolerant and it is important for Indonesia to maintain and spread these values to the rest of the world. (DND/DEN/ES) (Naster/EP/YM)
