Indonesia to Seek More International Support for Palestine: Minister

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi.

Jakarta, 12 Rabiul Akhir 1438/11 January 2017 (MINA) – Indonesia will seek more support for the Palestinian independence through two state solution, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

“Indonesia will never waver in its commitment to support the Palestinian struggle for independence,” Antara quoted the minister as saying during the 2017 Annual Press Statement of Foreign Affairs Minister here on Tuesday evening.

Minister Marsudi noted that Indonesia will garner as much support as possible to materialize the two state solution.

“However, we are aware that there is a steep road ahead us,” she said.

Regarding the efforts, Indonesia supports the International Conference initiated by France, and has attended the Paris meeting in June 2016 and will attend the next meeting in January 2017.

In order to demonstrate strong support for the Palestinian people, the Indonesian government has made a diplomatic breakthrough by opening an honorary consulate in Ramallah, and is planning to open a House of Indonesia in Palestine.

Indonesia also initiated the Extraordinary Summit of Palestine and Al Quds As Sharif in Jakarta in March 2016, and endorsed the Jakarta Declaration which supports the Palestinian independence through various concrete measures and breakthroughs.

In line with the garnering support, the Indonesian government also has been providing capacity building program for more than one thousand Palestinian during the last three years, to prepare them in governing an independent state.

Besides emphasizing the unwavering support for the Palestinian independence, Minister Marsudi mentioned other foreign policys focuses in 2017, namely strengthening ASEANs unity and centrality, as well as its contribution in the region, fostering peace and stability in East Asian region by accelerating Code of Conduct (CoC) negotiation, building Indian Oceans regional architecture, and optimizing the support for Indonesias candidacy as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2019-2020.

In particular with the candidacy in the UNSC, Minister Marsudi affirmed that Indonesia determined to deliver concrete contribution for global peace in accordance with the nations constitutional mandate. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)