Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Manpower Ministry and the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security have agreed to renew their memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the employment sector.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Indonesian Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said that the MoU renewal aims to increase cooperation in improving working conditions, reducing unemployment, and encouraging vocational training in the two countries.

"The scope of cooperation in the MoU includes work relations, regulations, human resource development, occupational safety and health, and safe and orderly work," she informed during a bilateral meeting with the Turkish Minister of Labor and Social Security, Vedat Isikhan, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the follow-up to bilateral cooperation for the renewal of the MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Labor.

Fauziyah expressed the hope that the MoU would improve relations and cooperation between the two countries to generate mutual benefits for Indonesia, Turkey, and other surrounding countries.

"I believe that under the leadership of Minister Isikhan, Turkey and Indonesia can strengthen cooperation in the employment field to become more developed and sustainable," she said.

According to her, the two countries have agreed to renew the employment MoU as a basis and legal protection to implement programs and activities related to employment.

The Indonesian and Turkish governments already had an employment MoU, which was signed on September 1, 2019, in Matsuyama, Japan, on the sidelines of the G20 LEMM 2019 under the Japanese G20 Presidency.

The MoU, which was valid for three years, could not be implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in nomenclature and ministerial officials in the Turkish government.

"The validity period of the MoU has expired. However, the two countries still want to improve cooperation in the employment field. Moreover, the potential for cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey, especially in the field of employment and human resource capacity development is quite prospective," Fauziyah noted.

The MoU renewal is expected to be implemented immediately. The two parties will also prepare a Plan of Action (PoA) as an initial step to prepare for the implementation of the MoU, she said.

Through the PoA, the two countries can develop activities for more prospective and constructive cooperation in the field of employment. These include comparative studies or benchmarking, exchange visits from experts, seminars, and participation in employment forums, the minister added.

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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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