“And with the largest population in Southeast Asia, we are the largest economy in Southeast Asia and Indonesia intends to join the TPP”, said Mr. Widodo.
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The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) have previously said that nine warships will be stationed to evacuated the haze victims across Sumatra and Kalimantan – each with different functions and use.
The World Resources Institute think tank estimates that, since September, daily greenhouse gas emissions from those fires have exceeded emissions from all USA economic activity.
From Indonesian president Joko Widodo’s arrival in the United States to the deadly natural disaster in South Asia, here are the top stories to start your day.
As for his slated meetings with businesses on the West Coast, setkab.go.id on Wednesday reported that Jokowi has assigned related ministers and officials to stand in, including Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara, Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Franky Sibarani and Creative Economy Agency (BEK) head Triawan Munaf.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest palm oil industry, has endured forest fires as people burned land during land clearing for new plantation.
Earlier Monday, US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake said the USA would contribute 2.75 million dollars to assist Jakarta in its forest firefighting efforts by providing gear to firefighters and helping health care centres respond to illness caused by the resulting haze.
Obama – who lived in Indonesia for almost five years as a child – will hold Oval Office talks with a fellow 54-year-old who, also like him, swept to power as an outsider promising change.
In addition to strengthening political partnerships between Indonesia and the US, Widodo will also visit Silicon Valley in San Francisco on Thursday to explore options for his country’s digital economy.
He will also meet representatives from U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, which is looking for assurances on its long-term future in Indonesia, and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Obama said Widodo was leading Indonesia in the “right direction”.
Moreover, explains VU University Amsterdam global fire expert Guido van der Werf, Indonesia peat fires represent a special kind of carbon problem.
By its own calculation the fires have cost the Indonesian government more than US$30 billion, a huge blow for the country’s floundering economy and the president’s economic development agenda.
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“It’s time for the Philippines through the Department of Foreign Affairs to invoke the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and initiate discussions for a possible loss and damage mechanism that can cover the worsening hazardous effects of the 2015 Southeast Asian Haze which first hit the Philippines through its Southern Islands early October this year”, said Batocabe.
