ASIATODAY.ID, KAZAN – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Sugiono held a bilateral meeting with the President of the New Development Bank (NDB) Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the BRICS Plus Summit which took place in Kazan, Russia, 23-24 October 2024.
Quoted from the MOFA broadcast, the meeting, Sugiono conveyed various strategic programs of the Indonesian Government, including building people’s homes, improving school sanitation, nutritious lunch programs, and biofuel-based energy transition.
Sugiono said that these programs have many similarities with NDB funding assistance programs.
NDB President Dilma Roussf said that the Indonesian Government’s programs were in line with the NDB’s mandate to fight inequality. She also shared the experiences of several BRICS countries, such as Brazil, which have successfully implemented programs, especially public housing and energy transition programs.
She encouraged Indonesia to immediately join the NDB and welcomed the potential for future cooperation.
New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank founded by the original founding countries of BRICS to support infrastructure development projects and sustainable development in developing countries.
The NDB was formed in July 2014 and has its headquarters in Shanghai, China and its Africa Regional Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. Indonesia has been invited to join the NDB since 2022, and is currently still in the review process.
Meeting the Malaysian Minister of Economy
Apart from the NDB president, Minister Sugiono also held a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Minister of Economy Mohd Rafizi Bin Ramli to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
Starting the meeting, Sugiono expressed his appreciation for the presence of PM Anwar Ibrahim at the inauguration of the President and Vice President of Indonesia on October 20 2024 in Jakarta.
Furthermore, Sugiono also raised the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia, including on issues of education and human resource development, especially through student exchange programs between educational institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia.
In discussing regional issues, Sugiono emphasized Indonesia’s full support for Malaysia’s Chair in ASEAN in 2025.
The Malaysian Minister of Economy expressed his appreciation for Indonesia’s leadership at regional and global levels. He emphasized that Indonesia’s influence is very important to continue to increase ASEAN’s role at the global level.
Apart from that, the two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global dynamics, including regarding the expansion of BRICS members and the political and economic impact on the region. (AT Network)
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