Uruguay Innovation Hub’s Post

During his visit to Japan, UNIDO’s DG Gerd Müller met with Minister Saito Ken, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and Parliamentary Vice-Minister Hosaka Yasushi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, to express appreciation for the long-standing strong relationship between #UNIDO and #Japan and for the new quality of cooperation with two new major initiatives funded by Japan for recovery in #Ukraine and for sustainable development in countries of the Global South. He also met with the Chairman of JETRO - Collaborate & Invest Japan Ishiguro Norihiko. #JETRO will partner with UNIDO to implement the initiatives, facilitating technology transfer with Japanese companies, while UNIDO will facilitate the building of skilled workforces via vocational training in recipient countries. Focus will be on industrial #decarbonization, #cleanenergy, #food security, #digital transformation, and #circulareconomy. Müller noted: “Our joint work also underlines the importance of private sector involvement for sustainable development. We will work with Japanese companies to transfer innovations and low-carbon technologies to the Ukraine and countries of the Global South. Together, we will support the development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses, and the creation of good jobs.” Yuko Yasunaga, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of UNIDO, and Fumio Adachi, Head of ITPO Tokyo, who supported and accompanied the Director General during this mission, will lead the implementation of these significant programmes. Read more about his visit 👇 https://lnkd.in/dMXJ_tPW

Germany in the Eyes of Indonesia: A strategic partnership under scrutiny Study report, June 2024 "The postcolonial discourse has also left its mark on Indonesia. Accordingly, the colonial past and its aftermath also influence Indonesia’s perception and assessment of Europe’s present-day international relations. The values-oriented foreign policy practised by Germany and Europe can quickly start to look like a neocolonial attempt to force Indonesia to adopt European values. In the disputes around trade and economic policy, Europe is perceived as being ethnocentric and focused solely on its own benefit. Some people even have the impression that the European Union and Germany, with their restrictive economic policies, are deliberately putting the brakes on Indonesia’s industrial development. The disputes over palm oil and nickel are criticised in particular and are even seen by many as part of a neocolonialist agenda aimed at keeping Indonesia’s economy down." https://lnkd.in/gz9Up-zK Kai Friedrich Clemens Bauer Arya Djoehana Reza Adenan Awie Sastroamidjojo Naritalia Panjaitan Yawar Arif Herekar Camilo Gaona Roberto Leva Alexander R. Malaket, CTFP, GCB.D Stania Puspawardhani Edwin Ebrahimi Thanks to Kamal Muhamad Kamaluddin for sharing! #indonesia #germany #diplomacy

RIYADH (April 28): The Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (Asean-GCC) should find mechanisms to advance trade, investments, collaboration and research, said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In his opening remarks at the Joint Regional Strategy Dialogue on Asean-GCC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting here on Sunday, he emphasised that the collaboration between both sides is mutually beneficial. "Not only do we (Asean) welcome GCC participation in terms of investments and collaboration, but also more Asean companies also active here in the kingdom (of Saudi Arabia), in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), in Qatar, and in neighbouring countries,” he said. As Southeast Asia becomes one of the fastest growing regions, Anwar noted that Asean member states have taken a more pragmatic approach in discussing both bilateral and multilateral relations among their neighbours. “We have been excellent partners — we work together, we discuss frankly, we do set our priorities right and we take into consideration some of the new emerging issues which are also a challenge to us, like energy transition, digital transformation and food security,” he said. Anwar said Southeast Asia is fortunate, as it is one of the most peaceful regions, noting that the Myanmar crisis is the only problem yet to be resolved. However, he said Asean has a clear position on the crisis, emphasising the Five Point Consensus as the basis for dealing with it. “And we give this latitude for neighbouring countries... to Thailand, Laos, to engage quietly with Myanmar to find an amicable resolution,” he added. Anwar also highlighted the level of cohesiveness Asean has, stating that he would continue to aggressively promote Asean as Malaysia assumes the chairmanship next year. “Of course, the members are independent countries but when we speak, we speak on behalf of all of us. I just assumed everybody will agree and of course, because of the extensive discussion on the number of issues and collaborations, that makes us quite comfortable,” he said. The inaugural Asean-GCC Summit held in Riyadh last year, agreed to hold the summit every two years, with the next summit set to take place in Malaysia in 2025.

2023 Recap: Jokowi and Indonesia on Global Stage Indonesia stepped up measures to assert its influence in the regional and global forums throughout 2023, riding on its successful leadership of the Group of 20 the prior year. The country assumed the rotating chair of the economic bloc ASEAN in 2023 and initiated policies to keep the regional grouping relevant amid escalating geopolitical tensions and optimize its economic potential in the face of growing China-US rivalries and trade restrictions from the European Union. Besides that, Indonesia sent some logistics aid to Gaza as the war puts the Palestinian enclave in dire need of assistance. The archipelagic country deployed its first batch of assistance amounting to 51.5 tons on Nov. 4, and another 21 tons of aid about two weeks later. Also in the same year, Jakarta won overwhelming support to be reelected into the UN Human Rights Council. According to Retno, Indonesia plans to serve the council for the 2024-2026 term with Palestinian advocacy high on the agenda. In August, President Jokowi attended a summit organized by an economic bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, known as BRICS. His participation in the Summit in Johannesburg triggered speculations about Indonesia's intention to join the club. However, Jokowi made it clear that Indonesia still had not signed up with the BRICS. On the climate front, Jokowi never failed to highlight at global forums that an energy transition would require substantial investments. The huge amount of money needed sets a major roadblock for developing economies’ energy transition journey. In 2023, Jokowi visited the US and China as Jakarta sought to maintain close ties with the world's two biggest economies. Jokowi flew to China for some talks on trade with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in July. Indonesia and the US also upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership -- the highest possible status of cooperation. US President Joe Biden announced the new status when he hosted Jokowi at the White House in November 2023. https://lnkd.in/g7vZGsTH

Vietnam and Denmark Enhance Collaboration on Eco-Friendly Seaport Initiatives Vietnam News Today (Mar 19) notable headlines Denmark, Vietnam intensify cooperation in green seaport projects Vietnam and Uzbekistan foreign ministers hold discussions Vietnam unilaterally exempts visas for 13 nations Vietnam, RoK enhance agricultural collaboration Vietnam continues to be among the world’s emerging economies: Asian Insiders Vietnamese and American universities forge training partnership Vietnam assists Laos in ensuring security during its ASEAN Chairmanship Year Vietnam bucks global trend of declining economic freedom: US news site Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2024 officially launched An overview of the reception. Denmark, Vietnam intensify cooperation in green seaport projects Vietnam is prepared to provide favorable conditions for Denmark’s APM Terminals Company to pilot a green seaport project following the Vietnamese government’s policy of transitioning rapidly to renewable energy said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at a reception for Keith Svendsen, Global CEO of APM Terminals on March 18 in Hanoi. Deputy PM Ha emphasized the longstanding friendship and cooperative ties between Vietnam and Denmark. He mentioned the Green Strategic Partnership that has opened up numerous opportunities for Danish businesses to invest in the Vietnamese market, particularly in the areas of green economy, renewable energy, and seaport infrastructure. Deputy PM Ha stressed the significance of developing a seaport system alongside the international commercial shipping route to meet the growth requirements of the processing and manufacturing industries. Deputy PM Ha highly appreciated APM Terminals’ plan to develop a green seaport system amidst increasingly stringent environmental and greenhouse gas emission regulations, as reported by VOV. Svendsen commended the Vietnamese government’s efforts in improving the business environment and creating favorable conditions for foreign investors. He also acknowledged the progress made in digital and green transformations towards achieving sustainable development goals. Svendsen expressed his desire to explore further investment opportunities in building the largest modern deep-water container seaports in Vietnam through digital and green initiatives. He also requested continued support from the Vietnamese government in the near future. Vietnam and Uzbekistan foreign ministers hold discussions Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held talks with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Hanoi on March 18. Minister Son acknowledged that this is the first visit to Vietnam by an Uzbek foreign minister since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. He viewed this occasion as an opportunity to review and agree on directions and measures to strengthen the long-standing friendship and promote practical bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual strengths. Minister Son highli...

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Tashkent for #ECOSummit [Video] The summit is expected to address various pressing economic and regional issues, including #trade, #infrastructure development, and #sustainable economic growth. Details — http://dy.uz/bgQxp Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) #sustainabledevelopment #regionalcooperation

“The Compact with Africa, which was created in 2017 under the German G20 presidency, aims to bring together reform-minded African countries, international organizations and bilateral partners to coordinate development agendas and discuss investment opportunities.” “Europe and the United States are jostling with Russia and China for geopolitical influence, critical minerals and new economic opportunities in the world's second most populous continent.” “German government officials say Africa can play a key role in helping Germany better diversify its supply chains, secure skilled labour, reduce illegal migration and achieve its green transition. African countries have long complained that while Europe talks about investment, China actually provides financing without any moral lecturing. Still, Chinese lending in Africa is in decline, while European interest is rising as it seeks to diversify supply chains.” #Opportunities #Innovation #PartnershipDevelopment CARE CARE Nederland Partos Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken SDG Nederland Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH European Commission African Union UNCTAD

2024 – Vietnam’s Year of Progress Former Vietnamese-German Deputy Prime Minister Philipp Rösler Mr. Philipp Rösler made this observation in an online interview with the Government Electronic Newspaper on the eve of the 2024 Lunar New Year. Prof. Philipp Rösler speaks highly of the upgrading of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development between Vietnam and the United States during President Joe Biden’s state visit to Vietnam in September 2023. Less than two months later, General Secretary, State President of China Xi Jinping also visited Vietnam. In the early days of 2024, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier led a business delegation to Vietnam. These “warm” visits signal positive prospects, opening up many opportunities to attract foreign direct investment and promote Vietnam’s foreign trade in 2024. Hoisting the Vietnamese flag high at international forums Commenting on Vietnam’s advantages, especially its participation in WEF Davos, Mr. Philipp Rösler assesses that in terms of cooperation, Vietnam has very good relations with both the United States, China, and the European Union. As an independent “player” in the global economy, Vietnam enjoys an excellent position in the context of increasing geopolitical tensions worldwide. Vietnam has a large workforce with skilled labor, high level of education, good English proficiency, diligence, discipline, and leading technological producing capabilities. Particularly, the business community in Vietnam always receives great support from the Government. At the high-level Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attending the 54th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (WEF-54) in Davos (Switzerland) in mid-January, there were many businesses. This demonstrates the support of the Government and the Vietnamese people for the business community, foreign direct investment, and international trade. According to Mr. Philipp Rösler, Vietnam’s leaders have been successful in attracting foreign resources for the country’s development. The Government proactively “hoists the Vietnamese flag high” not only at pure economic forums such as WEF Davos but also at others combining politics, geopolitics, and economics, environment protection such as COP27, achieving the goal of attracting all foreign resources to develop the country. These are very strong signs that Vietnam is actively participating in international forums, where Vietnam can attract foreign direct investment and seek trading partners. Commitment to fulfill the “order” of the Prime Minister Former German Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnamese origin Philipp Rösler said that in 2024, he expected to return to Vietnam to fulfill the “order” of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at WEF-54, helping build a financial center in Ho Chi Minh City with Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh Cit...

Green Deal is a must

🌏Promote international cooperation for global sustainable development International cooperation is an important way to achieve sustainable development. At present, the international community should adhere to multilateralism, give full play to the role of the United Nations and its Security Council on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and work together to strengthen cooperation among all parties in the international community to effectively address global challenges. In international cooperation, countries should adhere to the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and mutual respect, and strengthen the central role of the United Nations and its Security Council in promoting global sustainable development. We should put people first and pursue common development, ensure people's livelihood and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor in the course of development. Adhere to the scientific outlook on development and promote the coordinated and sustainable development of economy and society; We should uphold the principles of equity, justice and common prosperity and ensure that developing countries and least developed countries enjoy equal rights in economic and social development. 👍 The role of China and UN agencies in global sustainable development China is an active advocate and practitioner of global sustainable development. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, China successfully held a high-level meeting on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva in December 2014 with the theme of "Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". At the conference, China put forward eight initiatives on sustainable development, which provided important reference for other countries to formulate their own development strategies and implementation plans. At the same time, China actively participates in global development cooperation under international organizat #qbsmscbloggers