Japan Calls Indonesia to Engage in Palestine Development Programs

Jakarta, mina — The Japanese government is calling on the Indonesian government to engage in Palestinian development programs because the world`s largest archipelago country has many experiences in providing aid for the country in the Middle East and consistently supporting the independence of Palestine, Antara News,reported.

The call was conveyed to several journalists here on Monday night (June 25) by the Press Secretary at Directorate General of Press and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Norio Maruyama.

Indonesia is expected to continue to contribute and share its experiences and knowledge to Japan and other countries in Palestinian development on various occasions, Maruyama said, who is also a spokesman for the Japanese delegation comprised of Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono who are being in Indonesia on June 25 -27.

Indonesia will also be involved in the ministerial meeting of the Conference on the Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 27, 2018, Maruyama noted.

Indonesia`s participation in the conference is considered important as it is the country with the largest number of Muslims in Southeast Asia and in the world.

In addition, Indonesia also has extensive experience in organizing human resource capacity building programs for Palestinians and various trainings, such as in agriculture, which is useful in improving the welfare of the people of the country in the future.

According to Maruyama, CEAPAD is a regional consultative framework which was launched by Japan in February 2013 to support the development efforts undertaken by the Palestinians toward peace based on a two-state solution.

The conference aims at mobilizing resources and experiences in the field of economic development of East Asia countries.

The CEAPAD meeting in Bangkok will be co-chaired by Japan, Thailand and Palestine, and participated by Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, South Korea, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank with observers of Jordan, Egypt, the League of Arab States, and the Office of the Quartet.
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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency *MINA)