JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, held a series of bilateral meetings with parliamentary leaders from Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, and the Czech Republic on the sidelines of the 19th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) at the DPR RI Building, Jakarta, Tuesday, May 13. During the meeting, Puan emphasized the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and solidarity between parliaments.
Accompanied by Deputy Chairperson of BKSAP Irine Yusiana Roba Putri and DPR member Gilang Dhielafararez and Mufti Anam, Puan held separate meetings with four countries delegates. He invited partners to strengthen cooperation in the fields of education, tourism, defense, and other strategic programs such as sharia agriculture and sister city schemes.
The first meeting was held with the Chairman of the Algerian People's National Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali. Puan assessed that Indonesia's relationship 'Aljazair' needs to be strengthened through increased investment in the energy, trade and infrastructure sectors.
"I encourage partnerships with Algeria, especially in the fields of infrastructure, mining, and the food industry," said Puan.
He also emphasized the importance of cooperation in education, scholarships, and direct flights to encourage tourism between the two countries.
To the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ahmed bin Salman Al Musalam, Puan called Bahrain Indonesia's strategic trading partner in the Middle East. He noted that bilateral trade in 2024 grew 13.8 percent from the previous year.
"The business relationship of the private sector of Indonesia-Bahrain needs to be more encouraged. Bahrain also has the potential for investment in renewable energy and cooperation in trade promotions," he explained.
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He added that the collaboration of universities in agriculture and sharia economy between the two countries has been going well and needs to be improved.
With the Chairman of the Shura Oman Council, Khalid Hilal Nasser Al Maawali, Puan discussed the great potential for economic cooperation. Indonesia's trade value "Oman is currently the third largest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area.
Meanwhile, in a meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Czech Republic, Jan Skopecek, observer states in the PUIC 'Puan discussed opportunities for green economy cooperation. The Czechs, according to him, are Indonesia's important partners in Central Europe, including in carbon trading and carbon storage.
Ceko is the second largest investor in Central Europe in Indonesia. The potential for cooperation is very large, including in the defense and academic industry," said Puan.
Puan welcomed the cooperation between the Czech Defense University and Indonesian partners, as well as encouraging the acceleration of the I-EU CEPA negotiations. He also asked for Czech parliament's support in countering a negative campaign against Indonesian palm oil products.
Cultural cooperation is also mentioned. The cities of Yogyakarta and Hlubokmen of Nad Vltavou have established a sister city relationship. Puan encourages the development of tourism cooperation as a bridge for inter-community relations.
In the context of PUIC, Puan emphasized the importance of solidarity between Islamic countries in dealing with the global crisis. According to him, the role of parliament is very important in fighting for the values of justice, peace, and tolerance.
Puan assessed that the 19th PUIC Conference was a momentum to strengthen cooperation between Islamic parliaments in the midst of increasingly complex global challenges.
"We as parliamentary leaders must be the driving force in strengthening solidarity," said Puan.
Deputy Chairman of the DPR BKSAP, Irine Yusiana Roba Putri, added that the 19th PUIC expands the scope of cooperation, including in the fields of social, women, education, and family.
In the post-pandemic world conditions, no country is able to face global challenges alone. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation is key," said Irine.
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