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Consul to Palestine to be appointed soon: Foreign minister
The government would soon be appointing an honorary consul to Palestine as part of Indonesiaâs commitment to supporting Palestineâs independence, newly installed Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said on Wednesday
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he government would soon be appointing an honorary consul to Palestine as part of Indonesia's commitment to supporting Palestine's independence, newly installed Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said on Wednesday.
'We will enhance our contribution to the promotion of a two-state solution in Palestine. Indonesia's capacity-building programs have helped 1,200 Palestinians. We have also made a commitment to give US$1 million in aid,' Retno said at her office in Central Jakarta.
She did not provide details on when the consul would be appointed or where he or she would be stationed.
During the televised presidential debates earlier this year, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo pledged to push for Palestine's independence and its membership at the United Nations.
He also said that a government under his leadership would set up an Indonesian embassy in Palestine with an ambassador to the Middle-Eastern nation.
For years, Indonesia has supported the two-state solution, which would see Palestine acquire full independence and its people living peacefully side-by-side with the Israelis.
Hikmahanto Juwana, an expert in international law at the University of Indonesia (UI), suggested three options available to Jokowi on the establishment of Indonesia's representative in Palestine.
First, he said, Indonesia could appoint a Palestinian with a connection to Indonesia to serve as the special consul. 'He or she may be a Palestinian diplomat who was once posted in Indonesia,' Hikmahanto said.
The second option would be to ask Indonesia's friendly states with embassies in Palestine to accommodate Indonesia's interests.
'The third option is to expand the authority of one of Indonesia's other embassies in the Middle East. The embassy in Egypt or Jordan, for example, could also oversee Palestine,' he added. (++++)
