The People's Bank of China (PBOC) Governor Pan Gongsheng and Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing a cooperation framework to promote bilateral transaction settlement in local currencies, the Chinese central bank said.
The new agreement expands upon a previous MoU signed between the two central banks on Sept. 30, 2020, which was limited to current account transactions and direct investment.
According to the PBOC, the scope of bilateral local currency settlement cooperation will be expanded to include transactions made through capital and financial accounts.
The MoU was designed to advance the use of local currencies in bilateral trade and investment while fostering cooperation between the two countries' monetary and financial markets.
China, Indonesia sign MoU to expand local currency settlement cooperation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the U.S. rhetoric suggesting possible intervention in the situation in Iran, urging all parties to pursue diplomacy and dialogue in line with the principles of the UN Charter, his spokesperson said on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration is weighing "some very strong options," including potential military action against Iran amid the unrest across the Middle East country.
At a press briefing Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, conveyed Guterres' alarm over the remarks.
"The rhetoric that we've heard around the situation in Iran, which is concerning to him (Guterres), and he encourages all to adopt a path of diplomacy and dialogue," said Dujarric.
"We push for dialogue, and I think the [UN] Charter is very clear on your question," Dujarric said when asked whether foreign intervention might help resolve the crisis. The UN Charter enshrines core principles including the sovereign equality of all states, non-intervention in the affairs of other states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
These norms were further reinforced by the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law, adopted by the UN General Assembly, which explicitly states that no state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the national currency rial and long-standing economic hardships. The reported death toll from the unrest on both sides of the security forces and civilians is mounting.
UN chief urges diplomacy amid US military threats against Iran: spokesperson
