Mrs. Annick Girardin, Minister of Sea, visited Indonesia from June 6 to 11, 2021.
Mrs. Annick Girardin, Minister of Sea, visited Indonesia from June 6 to 11, 2021. On June 8, World Oceans Day, various texts structuring the bilateral maritime relationship were signed:
- The letter of intent on the Franco-Indonesian maritime dialogue was signed by the Minister and the Minister of Sea and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono. This dialogue will focus on topics of common interest to our two countries: illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, cross-border crime, blue economy, biodiversity, humanitarian action and disaster management, research and exploration of the seabed, etc.
- A joint declaration was signed by the two Ministers laying the foundations for a new offer of cooperation on sustainable management, economic development of coastal populations and preservation of marine ecosystems.
- A letter of intent in favour of the development of eco-ports in Indonesia was signed by the Director of the AFD agency in Jakarta and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Sea and Fisheries: feasibility study of the Eco fishing port project (for which a sovereign loan of 105 M USD is envisaged by the AFD), partnership between French and Indonesian institutions, study tour and exchange of experience.
- An agreement for an AFD loan of €89 million to strengthen the oceanographic research fleet of the Indonesian Research Institute (LIPI).
During her visit, the Minister met with :
- Mr. Sakti W. Trenggono, Minister of Marine and Fisheries ;
- Mr. Mahendra Siregar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Mr. Laksana Tri Handoko, Chairman of the new National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN) and former Director of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI)
- Ms. Dwikorita Karnawati, Director General of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG),
- Mr. Sjarief Widjaja, Director of the Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources (BRSDM), under the Ministry of Sea and Fisheries
- French subsidiaries in the maritime sector, as well as the presidents of the foreign trade advisors and the Franco-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce.
- A dozen alumni of the maritime sector
The Minister made several field visits demonstrating the diversity of Franco-Indonesian cooperation in the maritime sector, including two visits organized by IRD:
- Lampung Bay (in the south of Sumatra Island), a Franco-Indonesian scientific cooperation led by IRD, devoted to the proliferation of phytoplankton under the effect of climate change and which can cause heavy losses for fish farmers
- Mouth of the Cisadane river (Tangerang, Banten province) in the framework of the project of monitoring and modelling of plastic waste drift in Indonesian seas, financed by the AFD and implemented by IRD and the French company CLS.
The Minister's visit was widely covered by the Indonesian media due to the importance of maritime issues for the country.
Download the report of the sequences organized by IRD (in French)