I think the meeting today was extraordinary. I did not assume that we would receive good responses from the meetings throughout today, including at the World Bank, IMF, Asia Group, and USTR, which have become the focus of our visit.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, held a series of talks with officials on the first day of his visit to Washington D.C. in the United States on Monday.

The executives he spoke with included CEO of Conservation International (CI), M Sanjayan, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, president of World Bank, David Malpass, and United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer.

Pandjaitan was accompanied by Vice Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar, Vice State-Owned Enterprises Minister II, Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, Indonesian Ambassador to the US, Muhammad Lutfi, and Trade Minister's Expert Staff on International Relations, Arlinda Imbang Jaya.

“I think the meeting today was extraordinary. I did not assume that we would receive good responses from the meetings throughout today, including at the World Bank, IMF, Asia Group, and USTR, which have become the focus of our visit. During the dinner, the participants really reflected the presence of the two sides, and we are really friends,” Luhut said in a written statement released on Tuesday.

Pandjaitan discussed the possibility of cooperation with private partners in co-funding conservation and restoration programs for carbon credits in land and coastal areas in Indonesia with CI’s Sanjayan.

Sanjayan said Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia are key countries for the forests they hold, and that Indonesia is the best in managing forests.

Meanwhile, during the meeting with the IMF and World Bank, Pandjaitan discussed the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, national economic recovery, and Indonesia's commitment to improving and maintaining environmental conservation.

In turn, the IMF and World Bank officials lauded Indonesia's progressive steps in handling the challenges it has faced.

The IMF praised Indonesia for good fiscal discipline and issuing of stimulus packages without adding significantly to its debt when the crisis happened.

The World Bank president said he was pleased to receive explanations on the job creation law, which, he said, will benefit the Indonesian people.

"I am very delighted to be able to discuss the omnibus law on job creation with Minister Pandjaitan. Its implementation will greatly benefit the Indonesian people," Malpass said.

During the meeting with Robert Lighthizer, Pandjaitan expressed gratitude to USTR for its cooperation so that the GSP (Generalized Scheme of Preferences) review could be accomplished well.

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Translator: Ade Irma J/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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