Meeting between Prime Minister Solberg and Indonesia’s President

‘Norway and Indonesia enjoy longstanding and good relations. As maritime countries, we have a great deal in common. We cooperate in a large number of areas, including climate change and forests, energy, trade, democracy and poverty reduction,’ said Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

President Widodo and Prime Minister Solberg agreed to strengthen the extensive cooperation between Norway and Indonesia on climate and forests. They will ask the relevant ministers in their governments to agree as quickly as possible on a platform for extending the climate and forest partnership.

Norway has provided longstanding support for Indonesia’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat forest crime and promote economic and social development.  

Topics discussed by President Widodo and Prime Minister Solberg included Indonesia’s new maritime strategy, business cooperation, renewable energy, and efforts to combat climate change. President Widodo commended Norway for supporting a pilot project on the island of Sumba, which aims to ensure a transition to 100 % renewable energy use by 2025.

Ms Solberg praised Indonesia for the improvements that have been made in the country’s human rights situation since it became a democracy in 1998, but expressed concerns over Indonesia’s resumption of the use of the death penalty. Ms Solberg raised concerns over indications given by the Widodo administration that it will continue to make use of the death penalty.

‘Norway is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Our work in this area has high priority, and is an integral part of the Government’s human rights policy. Norway works actively to promote the abolition of the death penalty, and employs a wide range of tools to this end, in international and regional organisations, as well as directly in individual countries,’ said Ms Solberg.

Prime Minister Solberg, who co-chairs the UN Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Group together with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, also raised the issue of global education. Indonesia has worked systematically to meet MDG 2 on universal primary education. The level of school attendance is high among both boys and girls in the country. However, children from certain marginalised groups, for example indigenous peoples, still remain out of school.

Photo: Øystein L. Andersen/Ambassaden i Jakarta