Indonesia Honorary Consul in Palestine Officially Inaugurated

Photo: Foreign Ministry
Photo: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Amman, 8 Jumadil Akhir 1437/14 March 2016 (MINA) – Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno L.P Marsudi, Sunday, officially has inaugurated the first Honorary Consul of Indonesia in Palestine, Maha Abu-Shusheh, based in Ramallah.

The inauguration ceremony conducted at the Embassy in Amman, Jordania, attended by the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr. Riyad al-Maliki, the Ambassadors of ASEAN countries and the OIC representative in Amman, Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives, Mahfudz Siddiq, the Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan, Teguh Wardoyo, as well as leaders and government officials of Palestine and Jordan.

The inauguration was held just a few moments before the departure of the Palestinian Foreign Minister along with  delegations from Ramallah. Israel did not give permission for a helicopter flight over the Jordanian Air Force that will bring Retno. But, it washinder the determination of Indonesia to inaugurate the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia to Palestine.

In her speech, Retno expressed in the inauguration that the Honorary Consulate office in Ramallah is a real evidence of Indonesia’s support to the Palestinians. “Indonesian support to the Palestinian struggle is never extinguished, and today, we go one step further with the inauguration,” said Retno.

Politically, Indonesia consistently support Palestine in various regional and international forums as a co-sponsor to make Palestine a non-member state in UN and the raising of the Palestinian flag at the United Nations headquarters as well as supporting Palestinian membership in UNESCO; be a host of  CEAPAD II in 2014, and ratified the Palestine Declaration on the 60th Asian-African Conference Commemoration in Jakarta.

The trade between Indonesia and Palestine has increased almost three-fold from $ 1.02 million in 2014 to $ 3.67 million in 2015.  A total of 50,000 Indonesian tourists  visit Palestine every years (including Muslim and Christian pilgrims ).(L/P008/R03)

 

Mi’raj Islamic news Agency (MINA)