REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LONDON -- Marine and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has visited Poland to study possible expansion of bilateral cooperation in the maritime se3ctor.
The visit was a follow-up of the signing of a series of agreements including memorandum of understanding on fisheries cooperation signed between the two countries in 2013.
During her stay in Poland Susi met with high ranking Polish officials including Deputy Prime Minister/Economics Minister Janusz Piechocinski, and Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Kazimierz Plocke in Warsaw, Counselor at the Indonesian embassy Roos Diana Iskandar said on Wednesday.
Indonesian Ambassador to Poland Peter F. Gontha said Poland has the potentials that Indonesia could utilize including in the maritime sector.
"Indonesia has great interest in the maritime development in its bid to make itself a world's maritime axis," Peter F Gontha said.
Susi told Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski that Indonesia is reorganizing and focused on policy to secure its sea territory and is seeking to optimize exploitation of its maritime potentials.
One of the priorities of the marine and fisheries ministry is to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which cause the country a loss of around U.S.$20 billion a year, Susi said.
Susi said IUU is identical with other crimes such as fuel smuggling, slavery in ships and human trafficking.
She said the Indonesian government allocated U.S.$2 billion for maritime development.
The Polish Deputy Prime Minister Piechocinski said his government pays special attention to Asia Pacific, adding that on August 1, 2015, a direct container route was opened between the port of Gdansk and Asia Pacific to promote trade with countries in that region.
"Strategic location of Poland at the hearth of Europe, with adequate infrastructure , roads and ports (Gdansk dan Gdynia) could be utilized by Indonesia as a gateway and hub in Europe," he said.
Poland is the second largest in shipbuilding industry in Europe, the sixth largest in automotive and spare part industry and the fourth largest in furniture industry in the region.
Its experience and high technological capability in shipbuilding industry could be utilized by Indonesia through investment cooperation or joint shipbuilding program in shipbuilding industry especially for mother processing vessel and cold storage processing facility.
At a meeting with Polish Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Kazimierz Plocke, Susi asked Poland to invest in Indonesia and to form a joint venture in shipbuilding industry with state-owned shipbuilding company PT PAL or private partners in the country.
Both Poland and Indonesia are interested in improving the capacity and development of human resources in the maritime sector.
Indonesia will provide scholarships for 100 students to study in maritime affairs abroad every year.
Poland has Maritime Institute in Gdansk and Maritime University in Gdynia that would accept students from Indonesia.
The Indonesian minister said the ASEAN Economic Community to be implemented in January 20-16, provides an opportunity for Poland to expand economic cooperation with ASEAN member countries including Indonesia.
During her stay in POland, Susi visited two large shipyards in that country - Nauta Shipyard and Remontowa Shipyard -- which are located in northern Polandia, Gdansk and Gdynia.
She said Indonesia has set aside US$650 million as investment in shipbuilding industry , buying/assembling new ships and cold storage fish processing facility.
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