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00:00 On April 22nd, 2024, the city of Bandung and the city of Melbourne have signed a Memorandum of Understanding,
00:07 establishing a legal framework for their friendly ties.
00:11 The signing of this memorandum marks the continuation of collaborative efforts that began in 2014.
00:18 Historically, the city of Bandung has been in a partnership since 2017,
00:25 when Mr. Ridwan Kamil was the mayor of Bandung. He came to Melbourne to find a way to develop
00:33 what could be supported by the city of Melbourne and what the city of Bandung needs.
00:39 In May 2019, Lord Mayor Shelley Kepp visited Bandung,
00:45 and then a letter of intent concerning city-to-city cooperation was signed between the city of Bandung and the city of Melbourne.
00:55 Well, this Memorandum of Understanding is the next natural step of what has been an existing relationship for many years now.
01:04 To formalise this relationship means that we will be dedicating resources to making the most of our connection between our cities,
01:16 for both us as an organisation, but also for our communities and economy.
01:22 Two cities have agreed on a series of cooperation programmes designed to fulfil the commitments stated in the Memorandum of Understanding.
01:31 In the Memorandum of Understanding, there are five main items that are agreed upon,
01:37 which are co-operated between the city of Bandung and the city of Melbourne.
01:40 The first is related to smart cities,
01:42 the second is related to innovation and start-ups,
01:47 the third is related to education and the fourth is related to economy and trade,
02:00 and the fifth is related to a liveable city and city preservation.
02:04 Strengthening the strategic partnership between these two cities is expected to create new possibilities
02:11 for inclusive and sustainable economic development facilitated by areas of cooperation on which both cities agree.
02:19 The city of Bandung has many similarities to Melbourne,
02:24 and that's why we are really pleased to be able to formalise a relationship with the city of Bandung through this Memorandum of Understanding.
02:34 We recognise the progress and the success in the city of Bandung,
02:39 and this relationship will help us inform our decision-making, our strategies for the future,
02:48 by learning from the things that have worked well in Bandung, and sometimes also learning from each other's mistakes.
02:57 The two cities are expected to increase trade, investment, knowledge exchange and strengthen cooperation in key sectors such as technology and education.
03:07 And I know there's particular excitement in our start-up and innovation sector
03:13 to learn the magic of Bandung in growing so many small entrepreneurial businesses into unicorns,
03:24 and how we can do more of that in Melbourne.
03:27 We rank very highly for research and development here in Melbourne,
03:33 but commercialisation of intellectual property tends to move offshore.
03:38 We'd like to capture more of that here in Melbourne.
03:41 The partnership between Bandung and Melbourne can bring about several benefits for the residents of both cities.
03:49 More importantly, we should note that the collaboration between the two cities is still in its early stages.
03:59 The involvement of all stakeholders is necessary to maximise its potential.
04:07 The aim of this collaboration is to serve as a robust foundation for broadening bilateral ties between Indonesia and Australia,
04:16 further supporting the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
04:21 Mohamad Andri, reporting for C2Day, Melbourne.
04:24 [Music plays]