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Jokowi to hold limited meeting on economic development in Natuna
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Chinese coast guard ship 3303 passes near the Imam Bonjol warship 383, as the Indonesian Navy pursues the Han Tan Cou fishing vessel entering Indonesia's Natuna waters on June 17. The Navy caught the China-flagged vessel suspected of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.
(Antara/Photo Courtesy of The Navy's Western Region Fleet Command (Koarmabar))
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is set to lead a limited Cabinet meeting on economic development that will for the first time be held on a warship in Natuna regency, Riau Islands province, on Thursday.
Jokowi departed for Ranai in Natuna on Thursday morning from Jakarta, accompanied by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, National Development Planning Minister Sofjan Djalil, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung and Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmayanto.
Natuna is directly adjacent to Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, making it among the country's strategic areas. The Natuna waters are also one of the world's major shipping lanes, especially for vessels bound for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.
The President will hold the meeting on board Navy warship KRI Imam Bonjol 383 in a bid to send a stern message to China amid a recent spat over the arrest of a China-flagged vessel caught fishing in Natuna waters last week.
Economic development in Natuna is a top priority for the government, not only because of its strategic position but also in line with Jokowi's ambitious plan to make Indonesia a global maritime axis.
Maritime development in Natuna regency is expected to provide benefits for locals and the nation as a whole. (rin)
