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Jakarta Post

RI-Canada to expand economic ties

Welcome to the club: President Joko Widodo meets with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, in Antalya, Turkey, Sunday, on the sidelines of the G20 conference

Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post)
Mon, November 16, 2015

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RI-Canada to expand economic ties Welcome to the club: President Joko Widodo meets with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, in Antalya, Turkey, Sunday, on the sidelines of the G20 conference. The two leaders agreed to step up bilateral cooperation on various issues, such as human rights, democracy and interfaith dialogue.(Presidential Press Bureau) (Presidential Press Bureau)

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span class="inline inline-center">Welcome to the club: President Joko Widodo meets with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, in Antalya, Turkey, Sunday, on the sidelines of the G20 conference. The two leaders agreed to step up bilateral cooperation on various issues, such as human rights, democracy and interfaith dialogue.(Presidential Press Bureau)

President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo held a meeting with newly sworn-in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey.

The two leaders sought to enhance bilateral ties during the meeting, which Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said took place for the two leaders to meet each other.

Jokowi highlighted the importance of forging '€œstronger cooperation between Indonesia and Canada'€, while Trudeau said Canada was open for better friendship and business ties with Indonesia, which has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

The value of trade between Canada and Indonesia reached US$2.6 billion in 2014, a decrease from $2.8 billion in 2013. Wheat, potassium and wood pulp remain Canada'€™s main exports to Indonesia. Canada'€™s main investments in Indonesia are in the mining sector, the wood pulp sector and the services sector, particularly in insurance, as Canadian insurance company Manulife has already established a presence in Indonesia.

Trudeau, the son of the late iconic Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau, is the second-youngest prime minister in Canada'€™s history.

During the Indonesia-Canada Bilateral Forum held in Jakarta in May, which brought together a group of more than 80 representatives from businesses, governments, academia and civil societies from both countries, Canada made efforts to intensify its partnership with Indonesia by expanding relations in a number of areas, such as infrastructure development, education and regional security, and stepping up its investment in the process.

At that time, participants discussed potential partnerships in the fields of maritime security, transportation infrastructure and energy, as well as capacity building and education.

Canadian expertise in transportation infrastructure may be able to help Indonesia develop its railways, ports and aviation sectors, with Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier involved.

According to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the two leaders also discussed efforts to boost cooperation over climate change as Jokowi underlined Indonesia'€™s hope that the upcoming COP21 climate conference in Paris will produce a new international agreement.

'€œThe President also urged Canada to increase its commitment, just as Indonesia did [in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution or INDC] of a 29 percent emissions reduction by 2030, or 41 percent if the country receives international funding,'€ the ministry said in a statement.

The two leaders also agreed to improve cooperation in renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as peat land management, amid Indonesia'€™s efforts to end seasonal forest and peat land fires.

In terms of issues involving transnational organized crime, Jokowi and Trudeau agreed to focus the bilateral cooperation on counterterrorism, as well as on efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and drug smuggling.

While departing for Antalya on Saturday, Jokowi stated that he would raise awareness about the need for reform of global financial governance at the G20 Leaders Summit to be held in Turkey on Sunday and Monday.

'€œAt the G20 meeting, Indonesia will raise an important issue '€” the reform of global financial architecture,'€ the President said at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta.

At the meeting, themed '€œEnsuring Inclusive and Robust Growth through Collective Action'€, Indonesia would encourage the reform of global financial structures, he said.

He had raised the issue once before during the Asia-Africa Summit held in Jakarta in April 2015, the President said.

'€œWe also want to continue to encourage sustainable global economic growth and fair global economic governance,'€ he said.

The other issue that will be discussed at the G20 summit will be climate change.

Indonesia will reiterate its commitment to take tandem steps along with other nations to address climate change, he said.

'€œIndonesia will also underscore the importance of renewable energy resources,'€ he said.

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