Experts Appreciate RI-Australia Cooperation On IKN And Electric Vehicles

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - International Business and Trade Law expert Ariawan Gunadi appreciated the cooperation between the Government of Indonesia and Australia regarding the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN) to electric vehicles (EV).

One of the memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed is related to the development of the capital city between the Archipelago Capital Authority (IKN) and the Australian Capital Authority Canberra (The National Capital Authority of The Commonwealth of Australia).

"Through this MoU, Indonesia and Australia can strengthen sustainable development efforts and environmental conservation, taking into account the environmental impact of infrastructure development and development of big cities," Ariawan said in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday, March 7.

It is known that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) attended the ASEAN-Australia 2024 Special Summit in Melbourne, Australia on March 4-6.

During the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, President Jokowi met with Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In addition, the MoU was also signed on the collaboration of electric vehicles. The signing will strengthen and strengthen the infrastructure development and the electric vehicle industry in the two countries.

The move includes the establishment of a joint steering committee tasked with directing and coordinating collaborative efforts and drafting a comprehensive work plan to achieve the goals set.

"Through this MoU, it is hoped that there will be a strong synergy between the two countries in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicle technology and encouraging sustainable economic growth in this sector," said Ariawan.

Then, it was also agreed that there would be a strengthening of cooperation in the financial sector through the opening of the representative office of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in Sydney, Australia.

The opening of BNI offices in Sydney will increase accessibility and coordination in terms of finance between the two countries. With the presence of BNI offices in Sydney, it will make it easier for business people and individuals to access Indonesian financial services more directly.

The Professor of Tarukanagara University (Untar) hopes that the existence of the representative office can strengthen the network of cooperation between financial institutions in Indonesia and Australia, enabling the exchange of information and the best practices in financial management.

Furthermore, Ariawan said the meeting could also expand market access to create a more balanced trade.

"Indonesia and Australia are strategic trading partners and have signed the IA-CEPA or Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Partnership Agreement. This can be seen from the large volume of meat trading from Australia and the volume of oil and gas exports to Australia. However, there are often imbalances in this trade that need to be considered between the two countries," he said.

Therefore, said Ariawan, fair and balanced trade policies are needed between the two countries to ensure that the benefits can be felt evenly and sustainably for both parties.

Meanwhile, in the education and culture sector, Ariawan saw the large number of Australian youths visiting and studying in Indonesia to learn Indonesian culture and language through the New Colombo Plan scheme.

"This program provides an opportunity for them not only to deepen their understanding of Indonesian culture, but also to learn Indonesian," he said.