One of the world leaders who is also the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited North Penajam Paser to support the Archipelago IKN ( National Capital ) project . The support from Tony Blair should be appreciated because this shows that it is believed that the IKN project will make many positive contributions.
President Jokowi has good relations with many world leaders. Among them are British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, andPRC President Xi Jinping . In fact, he also has a good relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair is very familiar with President Jokowi and is happy to fly to Indonesia, even coming to Penajam Paser Utara 2 times to witness the development of IKN Nusantara . This was conveyed by the Head of the National Archipelagic National Institute Authority , Bambang Susantono. In the area that will be built into the Nusantara National Institute of Science, Tony Blair doesn’t just take walks. However, he supports the IKN project so that later it will run smoothly and on time.
Bambang explained that this was Tony Blair’s second visit to IKN in 5 months. This meeting discussed the latest developments, including their approach to paying close attention to the communities, forests and biodiversity that existed in the archipelago during construction.
Bambang and Tony exchanged ideas on how to improve the archipelago’s investment climate now and in the long term, and to grow the city’s arts and culture space and other important ingredients of this delightful city. Bambang said he was pleased with the visit from the former British PM, which he considered a strong commitment to support the development of IKN.
Bambang continued, he was grateful for Sir Tony Blair’s strong support for IKN Nusantara. IKN Nusantara Authority continues to hope to benefit from its experience and international network.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to support the development of IKN because he is interested in the concept, namely a capital city which is both a smart city and a green city. As an environmentalist he thinks this concept is brilliant because a city is tucked into a forest.
In accordance with President Jokowi’s instructions, the construction of the Nusantara National Public Institute must pay attention to the environment. He didn’t even hesitate to ask if there were people who saw violations to report them.
IKN Nusantara is a green city as well as a sponge city. Where its function is to collect rainwater and use it as a water resource. This city can keep rainwater from going straight into the drainage canal, and can increase infiltration into the ground.
IKN will become a sponge city because of the presence of trees in it. Apart from being a filter for the air and the lungs of the world, trees in the forest also function to absorb rainwater like a sponge. So that during the rainy season it will be safe and not flooded, because the water is well absorbed by tree roots.
Therefore Tony Blair came to Indonesia and saw firsthand the location of the Nusantara National Institute of Science in North Penajam Paser. Apart from meeting with the Head of the IKN Authority, Bambang Susantono, he also wanted to see how the development was progressing, whether it was according to plan (as a green and environmentally friendly capital city).
Tony Blair holds the mandate as the steering board for the development of IKN Nusantara. He wants to help the Indonesian government because he has a very good relationship with President Jokowi. In addition, Tony Blair has admired Indonesia since joining the B20.
Meanwhile, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia also met with Tony Blair on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos, Switzerland, last Wednesday 18 January 2023 . There, the two of them discussed the prospects and challenges of investing in Indonesia, especially in the National Archipelagic Industry.
Bahlil stated that the interest in foreign investment in the development of the IKN is currently showing positive signals from various countries. However, given the relatively large area of IKN, continuous cooperation is needed. It is hoped that with Tony Blair’s expertise and connections, there will be more foreign investors working together in developing IKN. With so many investors , the IKN project will run smoothly according to plan and on time.
The arrival of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to IKN Nusantara must be appreciated. His arrival was not only for holidays, but to fully support the IKN project so that it was 100% successful. With the support and connections from Tony Blair, there will be more investors willing to invest in IKN Nusantara.
)* The author is a contributor to Nusantara Reading Room
