President of Indonesia accepts Tony Blair’s offer to promote Nusantara

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President of Indonesia Joko Widodo has received a statement of readiness from former British prime minister Tony Blair, expressing his willingness to assist in promoting the new state capital Nusantara to the global community.

Blair made the statement during a meeting with Widodo at Merdeka Palace, here on Wednesday, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, informed.

“The President asked Tony Blair, and Tony Blair also happened to offer to help promote this new capital Nusantara internationally,” the minister, who was also present at the meeting, said, according to an official statement issued by the press bureau of the Presidential Secretariat.

During the meeting, Blair also suggested some promotional strategies that the government could use, he added.

Blair said that the government could promote the new state capital by offering opportunities for investment to other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and China, as well as a number of companies in the Asian region.

The minister further added that later on, in addition to foreign companies, domestic companies would also contribute to the development of the city by investing their capital there.

“Companies from Indonesia will work together in building Nusantara city because this development is not only of the building (the physical aspects), but as the President said, including the spirit,” he said.

The day before the meeting with Widodo, Blair participated in a market poll to promote potential investment in Nusantara city, entitled “Nusantara City: New History, New Civilization,” which was hosted by the Nusantara City Authority in collaboration with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

During the event, Blair briefly stated his willingness to promote Nusantara city to the global community.

“Nusantara was built in a time of dramatic change, in terms of technology and the environment that has grown increasingly, getting attention to be protected. Therefore, Nusantara city is not only a showcase for Indonesia but also for the world. I want everyone from all over the world to come to Nusantara to celebrate, see what actual things can be done,” he remarked at the Djakarta Theater, here on Tuesday evening (October 18, 2022).

Furthermore, Blair said that Nusantara city is the personification and embodiment of the spirit vital to the progress of a country.

A country’s development is not only limited to the construction of its buildings, infrastructure, markets, or economy, but also includes its spirit, which is a vital part of progress, he opined.

“And the spirit of modern Indonesia is about innovation, opportunity, courage, and getting the job done. And this capital city can be the personification and embodiment of that spirit,” he said.