Jakarta, May 8 -- Cooperatives Minister Budi Arie Setiadi has encouraged the Riau Islands Province to support the Red and White Village Cooperatives program by focusing on developing cooperatives that leverage the region's fisheries potential.

Speaking at an online coordination meeting with the Riau Islands government on Thursday, Setiadi emphasized that the archipelagic province is home to villages with significant strength in the fisheries sector, particularly in the districts of Natuna and Anambas islands.

"We expect Riau Islands to focus on Red and White Village Cooperatives that are based on optimizing marine resources, becoming a role model for other regions that share similar geographic features," he noted in a statement cited in...