Jakarta, July 16 -- Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Yandri Susanto, has emphasized that mentoring and empowerment of rural communities is vital for village advancement.

"With empowerment, God willing, we can turn hindrances into solutions," he said at the Exhibition of Ideas and Business Models for Blue Economy Development Innovation in Villages and Underdeveloped Areas with Blue Innovative Startup Acceleration (BISA) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He noted that of the 75,265 villages in Indonesia, around 20 percent, or nearly 16 thousand villages, are in coastal areas. They offer significant potential for blue economy development, which can improve the village communities' welfare, he added.

He further said th...