President Jokowi: Strengthen BRI Synergy and Cooperation for Infrastructure Development

Thepresidentpost.id - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that joint efforts are needed so that the values ​​of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are maintained to strengthen synergy and cooperation in infrastructure development. 

The President conveyed this when giving his views at the opening of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF), on Wednesday (18/10/2023), at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing.

"I hope that BRI's synergy in infrastructure development can continue, and in the midst of an increasingly divided world situation, BRI cooperation must not be politicized. "This requires our joint efforts to maintain core values ​​so that this initiative becomes stronger and more impactful," said the President.

President Jokowi considers that a sense of ownership is very important for the sustainability of a project. Therefore, synergy is needed that provides ownership space for the host country to carry out its national projects independently, as in the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed ​​Train project in Indonesia.

"Indonesia has a national Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train project which was then synergized with BRI and has recently been launched and operationalized," explained the President.

The President also hopes that in the future similar things can be done in the development of the Indonesian Capital City. "In the future, we will also synergize IKN development, energy transition and industrial downstreaming," he said.

Apart from that, the Head of State also emphasized that the BRI project must be based on the principle of equal partnership and mutual benefit between parties. "And equipped with careful planning, use of a transparent funding system, absorption of local labor, and use of domestic products," he continued.

Finally, President Jokowi believes that the sustainability of the BRI project must be ensured for the long term and can strengthen the economic foundations of partner countries. "It's not actually complicating the fiscal condition," he stressed.

On this occasion, the President also expressed his appreciation to the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the contribution made to developing countries through BRI.

Also accompanying the President were Minister of State-Owned Enterprises as Ad Interim Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Erick Thohir, Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun. (BPMI SETPRES/AIT)