Hiroshima, Japan – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) encouraged equality, collaboration, and inclusiveness in global cooperation while attending the G7 Partner Working Session at the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima, Japan, on Saturday, 20 May 2023. In the session discussing various global issues, President Jokowi conveyed a message from the global south.

“Working together means equality. Working together means inclusiveness, and we can only work together if we understand each other,” said President Jokowi.

“But the question is, has equality, inclusiveness, and understanding become a shared spirit that we are developing? We have to have the courage to be honest, we have to fix things,” he added.

Furthermore, the President explained that the pandemic had taught the world about the importance of involving more countries in global supply chains. For this reason, President Jokowi calls for an end to the monopoly policy.

“Discriminatory policies against developing country commodities must also be stopped. Every country’s right to development must be respected,” he emphasised.

According to President Jokowi, it is no longer the time for global south countries to only be given space as exporters of raw material commodities because the world is no longer in the colonial era. “Is it fair that a country rich in natural resources like Indonesia is prevented from enjoying the added value of its natural resources? Prohibited from processing natural resources in the country?” he said.

The President also emphasised that more than 270 million Indonesians as the anchors of peace, democracy and the economy in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region must be prosperous. Because of this, Indonesia does not close itself off but instead works hard to increase cooperation in other forms that are more equal with beneficial results for all.

“I hope G7 countries can become partners in downstreaming this industry and it is time to form a kind of OPEC for other products such as nickel and palm oil,” he said.

At the end of his speech, President Jokowi reiterated his call for collaboration and highlighted the major role of the G7 in this regard. According to him, what the world needs today is not polarisation.

“I want to emphasise that what the world needs right now is not polarisation that divides, but rather collaboration that unites and the G7 countries have a big role to play in creating solid and equal collaboration,” he said. (*)

Source: kemlu.go.id