6-3-2024 (JAKARTA) Indonesian President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, engaged in a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday. The primary objective of the meeting was to bolster bilateral relations between the two nations, celebrating 65 years of diplomatic ties in 2024.
In a statement from the Presidential Secretariat Office, Jokowi outlined three pivotal topics during the meeting. Firstly, he emphasized the importance of enhancing trade and investment cooperation by focusing on developing connectivity and infrastructure in both air and sea sectors. Jokowi asserted that Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were prepared to play a significant role in railway and infrastructure projects.
The president underscored the necessity of fostering collaboration between business sectors to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Secondly, Jokowi commended Cambodia’s support in addressing human trafficking issues affecting Indonesian citizens (WNI). He stressed the need for increased cooperation in preventing and addressing human trafficking crimes, advocating for the swift implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Eradication of Transnational Crime signed in 2023. Jokowi highlighted the importance of immediate action, particularly in exchanging intelligence information and enhancing the police capacity of both nations.
Lastly, discussions revolved around cooperation in ensuring food security, with a focus on rice imports from Cambodia. Jokowi encouraged the timely renewal of the MoU on Rice Trade Cooperation and the establishment of a Counter-Trade Mechanism to determine the price and quantity of imported rice.
The president urged the swift implementation of the Agricultural MoU, emphasizing the need to enhance agricultural management capacity, irrigation, and investments in rice processing and storage.
Expressing gratitude for Cambodia’s support during Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023, Jokowi highlighted the importance of implementing the ASEAN agreement through the five-point consensus (5PC) and addressing the Myanmar crisis. He reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to supporting Laos’ chairmanship in implementing the 5PC and resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.
