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Swiss to assist 130 thousand Indonesian farmers

Zulkifli Hasan

The Jakarta Post
Fri, November 27, 2015

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Swiss to assist 130 thousand Indonesian farmers

Zulkifli Hasan.

Switzerland aims to assist 130,000 cacao farmers in Indonesia between 2017 and 2020, adding to the US$40 billion that it has already invested in Indonesian farmers, Swiss Senate chairman Claude Heche said during his visit to Indonesia'€™s legislative complex in Jakarta on Nov. 18.

Arriving after his visit to Sulawesi, Heche said that Switzerland aimed to improve its bilateral relations with Indonesia, particularly in the economic and political sectors. He declared his satisfaction with Indonesia and Switzerland'€™s cooperation in cacao plantations as both government and farmers in Indonesia had shown support in the matter.

'€œ[Indonesia and Switzerland'€™s] cooperation should be improved for the sake of the people'€™s prosperity,'€ said Heche to the chairman of the People'€™s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan.

Heche also added that Switzerland and Indonesia had similarities in terms of diversity of race and religion.

Welcoming the Swiss Senate delegation to his office in the Nusantara Building III, Zulkifli Hasan affirmed that Indonesia had been governed based on Pancasila with Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) as the its motto.

Even though the majority of Indonesians were Muslims, Zulkifli said, Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution have been a strong foundation for Indonesia since it achieved independence, serving as the basis for Indonesia respect for the rights of people from all backgrounds.

'€œHere, every religion has equal rights,'€ Zulkifli said.

For example, Zulkifli said, Jakarta'€™s governor was Christian while Indonesia'€™s capital citizens were mostly Muslims. In East Nusa Tenggara province, he added, the citizens were mostly non-Muslim while the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) chairman was a Muslim.

At the meeting, Zulkifli also asserted that he condemned the Islamic State (IS) movement'€™s radicalism and its series of terror attacks in France. (afr)(+)

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