TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has named Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Sudirman Said to specifically handle Middle East issues. “The president named one minister to handle Middle East issues which is Mr. Sudirman Said,” Secretary Cabinet Pramono Anung said in Halim Perdanakusumah Airport on Tuesday, Sept 15.

Sudirman, said Pramono, will be assisted by Trade Minister Thomas Lembong and Alwi Shihab as a special envoy for the Middle East. Pramono said the focus will be on economic cooperation and investment. From the work visit to the Middle East, there are a number of investment and economic cooperations with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates that has been signed and has tremendous value.

Sudirman Said say there are at least five sectors that attracts investors from the Middle East including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, and strategic inductry. Sudirman said that in the next couple of weeks a number of meetings will be held to finalize the investment and economic cooperation plan between Indonesia and Middle East countries.

The president has conducted three work visits to three countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. From those visits, Indonesia has sign several economic cooperations and agreements. Some of the non-economic issues agreed includes adding Hajj quotas to 10,000 and Saudi Arabia’s commitment to fight for Indonesian workers on death row.

ANANDA TERESIA