While in Dubai, Jokowi Discussed Gaza Peace and Nusantara with Norwegian PM

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Dubai on Friday, December 1, 2023, to discuss efforts to bring peace to Palestine's Gaza.

"I really expect Norway, as a facilitator of the Oslo Accords, can contribute to finding a solution so that the peace process (in Palestine) can be restarted based on a two-state solution," Jokowi said in a statement received from the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.

During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Climate Action Summit of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the two leaders also discussed cooperation on environmental issues.

Jokowi told Gahr Store that Indonesia has been successful in reducing carbon emissions by improving control over deforestation and forest degradation, emphasizing the international community's acknowledgment of Indonesia's success story.

However, he noted that Indonesia has yet to receive the full payment for its success in reducing emissions as agreed upon in the Result-Based Payment in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism.

He also alluded to doubts expressed by some European countries about Indonesia's commitment to preserving forests and the environment in general.

"I hope that Norway will provide a fair view, particularly on the discriminatory European Union Deforestation Regulation, which significantly affected 16 million people in Indonesia, most of whom are smallholders," Jokowi remarked.

Furthermore, the two leaders drew attention to investment cooperation between their countries.

Jokowi expressed hope that the Scandinavian state would execute its commitment to investing in Indonesia under the Just Energy Transition Partnership and help Indonesia build its new capital city as a smart forest city.

"Norway's experience in developing Oslo is well-known to the global community and will be highly valuable for the development of the new capital, Nusantara," he noted.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, State Secretary Minister Pratikno, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pahala Mansury accompanied Jokowi during the bilateral meeting.