Prabowo and Tony Blair Discuss National Transformation Strategies
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair held discussions on global issues and strategies aimed at propelling Indonesia towards becoming a developed nation.
The closed-door meeting, which took place in Jakarta on Friday, focused on the imperative need for national transformation strategies to uplift the quality of life for Indonesians, according to Shuhaela Haqim, the director for Indonesia at the Tony Blair Institute.
Haqim elaborated that these strategic initiatives encompass crucial aspects such as addressing extreme poverty, ensuring equitable distribution of nutritional food, empowering local economies, advancing digitalization, and promoting financial inclusivity.
Blair, currently serving on the advisory council for Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, extended congratulations to Minister Prabowo on his recent presidential election victory.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Prabowo received a book titled “A Journey,” shedding light on Blair’s political career, notably during his tenure as British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007.
Accompanying Blair were Jalil Rasheed, director for Asia at the Tony Blair Institute, and Damian Hickey, director for Southeast Asia.
Prior to this meeting, Blair also met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace on Thursday. During this encounter, President Widodo sought Blair’s assistance in accelerating Indonesia’s digital transformation.
Abdullah Azwar Anas, Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB), disclosed that Blair also visited his office to delve into Indonesia’s digital transformation efforts.
Azwar highlighted collaborative efforts between his ministry and the Tony Blair Institute to hasten Indonesia’s digital transformation, drawing lessons from digitization initiatives in the United Kingdom and Estonia.
The institute is poised to support Indonesia in launching an e-government system called INA Digital, intended to consolidate numerous public service applications for enhanced citizen accessibility.
“Currently, there are approximately 27,000 public service applications, making individual installation cumbersome for citizens,” Azwar emphasized.
