President Joko Widodo : Sea Rrow Must Be Resolved Immediately

President Jokowi talks to journalist in an interview with a foreign media recently.

Manila, Philippines, 1 Sya’ban 1438/28 April 2017 (MINA) – The South China Sea dispute is an issue that must be solved immediately, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Thursday.

In an interview with ANC, Widodo expressed belief that the South China Sea issue should be high on the agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

ASEAN must come up with a “mutual agreement” on the South China Sea row before talking to China, the Indonesian leader said in Indonesian language (Bahasa), noting that as in previous summits, differences on the issue persist between ASEAN as a grouping and its member states.

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“The Code of Conduct is very important. However, this is just a process toward (reaching) an agreement,” Widodo said.

“In my opinion, the importance of building blocks in this transition period is by implementing joint maritime infrastructure as well as joint research in the marine resources in the South China Sea or even joint patrols, or we can develop fisheries industries together. This is something more concrete, something real and important.”

Widodo, on a state visit to the country today, will travel to Mindanao on Sunday for the launching of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung shipping route in Davao City.

He will join leaders of the 10-nation bloc for the 30th ASEAN summit in Manila, the first of two ASEAN summits this year.
Veloso’s case

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On the other hand, President Duterte said if given the chance, he would discuss further with Widodo the case of convicted Filipino drug mule Mary Jane Veloso, whose execution has been put on hold after several interventions from the government.

Veloso’s parents and other relatives of Filipino workers on death row abroad went to Malacañang on Wednesday to call for the intervention on Veloso’s case and those of other Filipinos.

Veloso was sentenced to death for smuggling heroin into Indonesia. She was arrested in April 2010 for bringing in 2.6-kilograms of heroin in a suitcase.

She was sentenced to death in October 2010 but the execution did not push through after a moratorium issued by former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

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She was set to be executed anew in January 2015, and then on April 29, 2015 but she was granted a stay of execution in exchange for testifying against her alleged recruiter. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)