JOKOWI'S MARITIME AXIS VISION ATTRACTS SOME NATIONS by Fardah

  Jakarta, Nov 16, 2014 (Antara) - A number of nations have expressed their interest in establishing cooperation in maritime-related activities with the Indonesian government since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo revealed his maritime axis vision a month ago.

    Among the attracted nations are the United States, Japan, China, Australia, the Netherlands, and France.

    Jokowi received more maritime cooperation offers from the major nations when he attended the APEC Forum in Beijing, China, on Nov. 10-11; the 25th ASEAN Summit and the Ninth East Asian Summit (EAS) in Myanmar on Nov. 12-13; and the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, on Nov. 15-16, 2014.

    During his debut at those summits, Jokowi showed case his vision of transforming Indonesia into a global maritime axis before several world leaders.

    "Indonesia, a maritime nation, wants to become a global maritime axis, which can bring prosperity to its people," the president affirmed during the plenary session of the EAS in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Nov. 13, 2014.

    Indonesia is located between the Pacific and Indian oceans, and right in the middle of the strategic change process geographically, politically, and economically, he stressed.

    Its position as the global maritime axis will unfurl opportunities for Indonesia to establish cooperation, both regionally and internationally, for the welfare of its people, according to Jokowi.

    "Our maritime wealth will be exploited for the greatest benefit of our people," he noted.

     Infrastructure, such as sea tolls, deep sea ports, shipping industry, and maritime-based tourism, will also be developed to support the nation's aspiration to become a global maritime axis. 
    According to Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi, President Jokowi's maritime concept and supporting infrastructure drew much attention of world leaders in the summit meetings.

         "A lot of things we could do as a follow up of this. Right after
the three summits, the world would more or less know what Indonesia
wants to do in the next five years," Marsudi said in Brisbane, on Nov. 15, 2014.

         She noted that the governments of Japan and China, for instance, offered to form a working group with Indonesia to strengthen cooperation in bringing to reality President Joko Widodo's vision of creating maritime axis.

         "There are five pillars to support the concept of maritime axis, one is infrastructure pillar that would need a lot of work to do. Japan has offered to form a working group on maritime, so does China," she said.

         She said Jokowi also raised the same issue in his talks on Nov. 14 with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott upon his arrival in Brisbane.

         With the French government, Indonesia also agreed to increase cooperation on the maritime sector, particularly in shipyard development, according to Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto when  accompanying President Jokowi to visit the Brisbane Port on Nov. 16, 2014. Jokowi met French President Francois Hollande in Brisbane.

         Possible cooperation in the maritime industry was discussed by Jokowi with German Chancellor Angela Markel on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

         Earlier, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yasuaki Tanizaki said his country was ready to assist Indonesia in its efforts to realize the goal of becoming a global maritime axis.

         "Japan is an archipelagic country and we have experience in
developing maritime sector," stated the ambassador in Jakarta, on Nov. 13, 2014.

         Tanizaki added that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during a bilateral meeting with President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Beijing on November 10, had proposed to establish a working group with Indonesia to discuss possible concrete cooperation in the maritime sector.

         According to Tanizaki, there were various sectors that Japan and Indonesia could develop together such as the fisheries industry, construction of seaports, increasing safety navigation and capacity building for coast guards.

         However, Japan wanted a concrete proposal from Indonesia regarding the possibility of cooperation in the maritime sector.

         The ambassador also revealed he would soon meet with Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi to discuss the formation of the proposed working group.

         Among the first foreign ambassador offering maritime cooperation was US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake, who said on Nov. 6, that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) planned to cooperate with the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in marine conservation.

         "We talk about all aspects of marine cooperation, including marine conservation because we have very good programs through USAID," Blake said following his first meeting with Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti.

         The United States has so far collaborated with Indonesia in dealing with illegal fishing issues, he said adding that his government would also provide facilities for improving Indonesia's capability to oversee its waters.

         At the meeting, Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said she explained to the ambassador a plan to change the pattern of the fishing industry to comply with the rules of the environmental protection and sustainable development.

         On the previous day, on Nov 5, 2014, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands planned to establish cooperation in the field of coastal and maritime affairs.

         "We will cooperate in various forms of maritime infrastructures in effort to boost the country's economy among others," the Kadin deputy general chairman Didi Suwondo stated on the sidelines of a dialog on "Building a Global Maritime Nexus: Next Steps in Indonesian-Dutch Partnerships in Coastal and Maritime Development.

        Several matters discussed during the discussion included the construction of water absorption, anti-abrasion and some seaport infrastructures.

         "Our choice to cooperate with the Netherlands because the country has experience in the coastal infrastructures, in addition to strengthen bilateral ties," he said.

         The Secretary of Economic Affairs of the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia, Peter de Vries, remarked that the cooperation would be beneficial for both nations.

         "We will help develop the maritime infrastructure in Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and cities outside Java," de Vries stated.

         This five-year project will be evaluated during its course to bring in further improvements.

         "This month, some of our contractors will identify maritime-related issues and problems in the coastal areas of Jakarta, after which we will decide on further steps," de Vries added. ***1***
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