Foreign Affairs Ministry opens international seminar

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia opened an international seminar and photo exhibition of Palestine as part of a bilateral cooperation and the Indonesian government`s support to the country.

The events were themed "Empowering Its People, Strengthening its State: Consistency of Indonesia Support in Technical Cooperation" and held at the Pancasila Building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Indonesia will support Palestine, as Palestinians always need our support. Hence, this activity is not only a form of political support but is also a very concrete effort," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted after inaugurating the events in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In addition, the minister conveyed the Indonesian government`s plan to build a water mill in Palestine in order to provide access to clean water to Palestinians facing a water shortage due to restrictions imposed by Israel.

The plan to build the water plant will be implemented next year and has been coordinated with several authorities in Palestine for the smooth implementation of the program.

"The Palestinian side has sought a zero tariff on its products entering Indonesia. We have discussed this matter with the Ministry of Trade, and now, we enter the final stage of discussion," she stated.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Al-Shun lauded the implementation of activities and expected that the events would strengthen relations between the two countries.

"Technical cooperation between both countries has been implemented since 2008 in several fields, including in culture, agriculture, tourism, and governance. We look forward to continuous technical support from you all," he said.

The seminar will focus on holding intensive discussions on the study and capacity building assistance practices being carried out by the Indonesian government in Palestine through various mechanisms.

The activity also discussed the situation of Palestine after reconciliation in order to identify the type of assistance required in future.

In addition, the activity is expected to serve as a catalyst for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and institutions in Indonesia to provide assistance to Palestinians in various sectors, especially agriculture, tourism, health, infrastructure, small and medium enterprises, and Information and Communication Technology

Source: ANTARA