Jokowi Tells The Contents Of The Meeting With Presidents Zelensky And Putin

Screenshot via ANTARA/ President Joko Widodo attends the "Remembrance and National Prayer" event for 77 Years of Indonesia's Independence at the Merdeka Palace courtyard, Jakarta on Monday (01/08/2022)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo shared the contents of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin who discussed the world food crisis.

"At that time I met with the President of Ukraine, President Zelensky, he told me there was a stock (wheat) in Ukraine in the warehouse of 22 million tons, the stock was in the process of harvesting 55 million tons, meaning that 77 million tons of wheat remained in Ukraine, couldn't get out because war," President Jokowi said while attending the "Remembrance and National Prayer for 77 Years of Indonesia's Independence" at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 1.

President Jokowi is known to have met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Maryinsky Palace, Kyiv on June 29, 2022. President Jokowi also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on June 30, 2022.

"I talked for 1.5 hours with President Zelensky and then moved to Moscow to meet President Putin. He also told me that there were 130 million tons of wheat stock in Russia, meaning that in Ukraine plus Russia the total stock of wheat is 207 million tons, not 207 tons but 207 million tons. This is what causes 333 million people to starve and maybe in 6 months 800 million people will be acutely hungry because there is nothing to eat, once again, "said the President.

President Jokowi said that after almost 2.5 years all countries were sick at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in the world were again experiencing problems that they never expected.

"We were just about to make a recovery, but something sudden happened that we didn't expect before, the pain has not yet healed, there is a war in Ukraine so that everything becomes relentless, making it difficult for almost all countries, all countries are in a very difficult position," said the President. .

However, President Jokowi said that Indonesia should be grateful because gasoline in other countries costs Rp. 31 thousand-Rp. 32 thousand, but in Indonesia the price of pertalite is still Rp. 7,650.

"But we need to remember that the fuel subsidy is already too big, from IDR 170 trillion to IDR 502 trillion now, any country will not be strong enough to support such a large subsidy, but thank God we are still strong, this is what we need to be grateful for," added the President.

In the food sector, Indonesia should also be grateful because the price of rice in Indonesia has not increased.

"We should be grateful for this, thanks to the hard work of parents, thanks to our mutual cooperation efforts together," said the President.

President Jokowi invites the public to pray together and ask Allah SWT so that Indonesia will always be filled with energy and food.

"And so that we don't lack for it, then we try to make efforts together so that we are actually abundant and can help other countries that are currently experiencing difficulties," said the President.

Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, who was also present at the event and gave a short tausiah, said that Allah SWT does not change a nation unless the nation tries to change it.

"When there is an effort, there is an effort to get out of colonialism, carry out a struggle, then Allah also gives his inayah, his help to become an independent nation. For that, we must be grateful, appreciate, and be grateful to the nation's fighters. Rasulullah SAW said who does not thanking humans, he also doesn't thank Allah," said Vice President Ma'ruf.