TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) speaker Puan Maharani met with her Thailand counterpart Pornpetch Wichitchonlachai in a bilateral meeting in Bali, Wednesday, March 23. They exchanged information on plans to shift from COVID-19 pandemic to endemic.

During the meeting, which was held on the sideline of the 144th Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), they agreed that the transition period must be thoughtfully prepared to ensure the effectiveness of various recovery programs.

"Indonesia has made a number of adjustments. DPR takes a role in supervising the government’s efforts in preparing the roadmap to achieve an endemic status," Puan said.

She added that they also shared experiences related to the recovery of the tourism sector which is considered one of the main sources of foreign exchange for both countries. “I encourage collaboration between the two countries for the tourism revitalization,” Puan said.

In addition to tourism, Puan Maharani pushed for a stronger bilateral partnership in the trade and investment sector. Thus, she welcomed the step of the Thai National Assembly which approved a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation to establish the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group between Indonesia and Thailand. The DPR is still reviewing the deal and the draft will be completed in the near future.

Read: Health Ministry Reveals Conditions to Shift from COVID-19 Pandemic to Endemic

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