Starting on Wednesday (1/12/2021), Indonesia will assume its one-year G20 presidency, which offers it a broad international stage as well as responsibility,
By
FX LAKSANA AGUNG SAPUTRA
·5 minutes read
Kompas
5from L) US President Joe Biden, DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Italy's Prime Minister, Mario Draghi and other world leaders pose during a group photo at the G20 of World Leaders Summit on October 30, 2021 at the convention center "La Nuvola" in the EUR district of Rome.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The G20 presidency is a diplomatic and promotional stage for Indonesia. Assuming the role also comes with both an inward responsibility for the government and an outward responsibility for the country.
Inwardly, Indonesia represents the interests of 277.58 million citizens, while outwardly, Indonesia must address the interests of developing and underdeveloped countries as well as the global community.
Based on the information Kompas gathered on Tuesday (30/11/2021) at the presidential palace in Jakarta, President Joko Widodo is to deliver a speech at 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening at Banteng Square, Jakarta, to mark Indonesia's assumption of the G20 presidency. The President is to speak about Indonesia's role and leadership in the G20.
The event will feature a performance themed “Bangkit Bersama Seni Budaya Nusantara” (Rising together with the Archipelago’s cultural arts). It will also involve a G20 pinning ceremony, the launch of the G20 website and a video about the G20 presidency of Indonesia.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that holding the G20 presidency would be a means of articulating Indonesian diplomacy in striving for domestic interests as well as the interests of poor and developing countries.
"The role of the G20 presidency is to balance the global agenda with domestic priorities and interests, as well as align the interests of various parties, both developed and developing countries," said Sri Mulyani.
On the one hand, she said, the G20 presidency would pave way for Indonesia to take an active leadership role in global forums, as well as provide momentum to strengthen Indonesia’s multilateral role in overcoming global economic, social and political problems amid the worldwide impacts from the pandemic.
Indonesia would use its capacity in the G20 presidency to mobilize greater international support for poor and developing countries in their efforts to deal with the pandemic. The G20 presidency would also enable Indonesia to play a broader role in multilateral cooperation in order to accelerate an inclusive and sustainable global economic recovery.
BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/MUCHLIS JR
Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati gave a statement to the press at the Splendide Royal Hotel, Rome, Italy, on Saturday, October 30, 2021 local time, after accompanying President Joko Widodo at the G-20 Summit in La Nuvola.
On the other hand, Sri Mulyani added, the G20 presidency was a means of strengthening Indonesia’s positive image and building international trust in the domestic economy.
Indonesia expected to increase confidence among domestic and foreign investors by demonstrating its progress in development and its realization of domestic structural reforms. The government would also present the achievements it had made in its pandemic handling and economic resilience to the health crisis.
World recovery
The Indonesian G20 presidency carries the theme "Recover Together, Recover Stronger", which was chosen in the context of recovering the world from the multidimensional crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the same time, climate change and digital transformation have become global issues amid widespread geopolitical changes in the region and around the world.
Given the current global situation, Indonesia plans to raise three key aims during its G20 leadership, namely strengthening the global health architecture, advancing inclusive digital transformation and accelerating energy transition.
These three aims will be elaborated further in more detailed measures through discussions with the finance and real sector.
A total of 150 activities have been arranged over the next year that will involve some 20,988 participants from all G20 member countries and representatives from nonmember countries.
The Indonesian G20 presidency is seen as proof of the world’s trust and hope that Indonesia's leadership, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, could accelerate the efforts to lift the world out of the pandemic and recover together.
“Secondly, it is a big responsibility that must be fulfilled properly. This huge responsibility can be fulfilled only with the support of all elements of the nation and the cooperation of all G20 member countries,” Retno added.
KOMPAS/KRIS MADA
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi
While the national interest would certainly be a part of Indonesia's concerns, she said, the G20 presidency required Indonesia to fight for the interests of other developing countries, bridge conflicting interests and narrow the gap between developed and developing countries.
"Indonesia's diplomatic track record shows that Indonesia is always able to be a bridge. This track record has created trust and credibility. It is this trust that Indonesia will capitalize on in carrying out its leadership," she said.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto stated that Indonesia, through the G20 presidency, would be responsible for implementing the global agenda while at the same time, it would seek to capitalize on it for the national interest.
Speaking about short-term benefits, Airlangga said the meetings and visits in the context of the G20 Summit would increase foreign exchange growth to help drive the national economy.
The economic spillover, he said, would be enjoyed in the transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, tourism, and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sectors. Another short-term benefit was the creation of jobs that would absorb around 33,000 workers.
Hosting G20 events was projected to bring 1.5-2 times greater than the aggregate economic benefits of the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bali. It was also expected increase gross domestic product by Rp 7.43 trillion.
For the medium to long term, Airlangga mentioned two positive impacts, the first being intensified multilateral cooperation that would help boost the Indonesian economy.
"Secondly, Indonesia can raise strategic issues by aligning the G20 cooperation agenda with the direction of domestic interests by setting the agenda. These strategic issues are infrastructure, financial regulation, climate change, as well as disparity and poverty," he said.
United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink said that the US strongly supported the Indonesian G20 presidency. He also noted that some Indonesia-US cooperation appeared to be in alignment with the G20 agenda under Indonesian presidency.
Putting its hopes on the Indonesian G20 presidency, Kritenbrink told a media briefing in Jakarta, the US was committed to being a cooperation partner to accelerate the G20 agenda. (HAR/LUK/BEN/RAZ/DIM/HEN/LAS)
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F11%2Fmenlu4_1637668570.jpg){kind=logo}
