Jokowi, MBZ discuss financial center in Indonesia's Nusantara

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), discussed cooperation in developing a financial center in Indonesia's new capital city, Nusantara.

This was conveyed by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi at a press briefing after she accompanied Jokowi to the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, on Wednesday.

She said that the financial center plan has been included in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Public Housing and the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).

"After the MoU signing, there will be a visit by a technical delegation, which will start to discuss cooperation preparation," Marsudi said.

She noted that the second topic discussed by the two leaders was cooperation in developing the nickel raw material industry.

Indonesia, with its large nickel reserves, has developed a nickel downstream ecosystem, especially for batteries and electric vehicles (EVs).

"President Jokowi invited the UAE to invest in the EV sector from upstream to downstream," Marsudi said.

In addition to a tête-à-tête meeting, the two leaders also held a bilateral meeting and witnessed the announcement of eight deliverables of the agreements:

An MoU between the Indonesian Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and UAE real estate developer Eagle Hills on tourism and air transportation;
An MoU between the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) and the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority on establishing a financial center in Nusantara;
An MoU between Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Emirates Nuclear Energy (ENEC) on nuclear energy;
An MoU between Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Central Bank of the UAE (UAECB) on payment systems;
An MoU between the finance ministries of Indonesia and the UAE on public finance management;
A framework agreement between PT Dirgantara Indonesia and PAL Aerospace on technology transfer of maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare;
An MoU between PLN Icon+ and an Emirati state-owned renewable energy company for joint assessment and a commercial and industrial study for rooftop solar installations in Indonesia;
An MoU between the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund of the UAE on developing the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Center in Bali.

During his visit to the UAE, President Jokowi also received the Order of Zayed, a civilian honor, from the UAE President.

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