President Jokowi Praises Indonesia’s Defense Industry Development
President Jokowi visits the 2022 Indo Defence Expo & Forum at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta, Wednesday (11/02). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Jay)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has praised Indonesia’s defense industry for its great development.
“The development is excellent because now we give a big room for the private sector to contribute to developing Indonesia’s defense industry, including by cooperating with foreign defense industry. In my opinion, it is a great development,” he said at the 2022 Indo Defence Expo & Forum held at Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Kemayoran in Jakarta, Wednesday (11/02).
On that occasion, the President underscored the importance of keeping up to date on the development of the global defense sector, including the surge of defense budget in NATO member countries, the Middle Eastern countries, and East Asian countries, as well as the emergence of new military technologies.
“The most important thing is that we can adopt as many new technologies in the military sector as possible,” he said while also stressing the need for global cooperation for defense industry development in the country, including for military technology transfer.
“I am happy. The President Director of Defend ID stated that they have a target to become one of the top 50 defense company in the world. The products that we have now must certainly be developed as well as possible,” he said.
The President also expressed appreciation for the organization of the 2022 Indo Defence Expo & Forum that he considered useful to promote the primary weaponry system made in Indonesia.
“I think it is good for promotion, especially to promote defense and security equipment products,” he said.
In the meantime, Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto expressed commitment to nurturing Indonesia’s independence in the defense and security sector.
“Indonesia is committed to always being open for external relations with all countries, to implementing defense diplomacy, and to enhancing defense by developing domestic primary weaponry system, to Indonesia’s mission for global peacekeeping, and to promoting and advancing defense industry to be independent, and to fulfilling the needs for defense and security equipment,” he said.
According to Prabowo, the 2022 Indo Defence Expo & Forum adopting the theme of Peace, Prosperity, Strong Defence aims to create business opportunities and exchange of technology between countries.
For the record, this year’s Indo Defence exhibition is divided into three events held in different areas in Jakarta, namely Indo Defence Expo & Forum in Kemayoran, Indo Marine Expo & Forum in Pondok Dayung, and Indo Aerospace Expo & Forum in Halim Perdanakusuma.
The event is participated by 905 companies comprising 158 domestic companies and 747 international companies from 59 countries and attended by stakeholders in the defense sector from several friendly countries.
“It is attended by delegates from 31 countries, including ministers and vice ministers of defense and commanders of the military forces,” Prabowo said. (FID/TGH/UN) (DH/LW)
