President Widodo made the statement at a joint press conference after meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday.
"Indonesia will continue to fight discrimination against oil palm," the President said.
The struggle against oil palm discrimination in the global market would be bolstered if Malaysia backs it, he added.
"This struggle will be more optimal if it is carried out together, and Indonesia hopes for the same commitment with Malaysia regarding the issue of palm oil," he stated.
Earlier, Indonesia had lodged a protest with the European Union on the proposed regulations under the Renewable Energy Directives II (RED II), which are believed to discriminate against palm oil.
Indonesia said it is ready to sue the European Union at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to protest against the discriminatory measure.
The European Union is one of the largest markets for Indonesian palm oil exports, with a market share of 12 percent. Other large markets for Indonesian palm oil are China (18 percent), India (18 percent), and Pakistan (8 percent).
Under RED II, the European Union has designated oil palm as a high-risk crop driving deforestation and plans to limit and gradually eliminate the use of crude palm oil (CPO) as a biodiesel. (INE)
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Translator: Indra P, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
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