An absence of knowledge about Fiji has not prevented the Pacific country from appointing noted businessman and philanthropist Tahir as its honorary consul in Surabaya, East Java.

Fijian Defense and National Security Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola presented Tahir, who owns the Mayapada Group of businesses, with his commission as honorary consul on Thursday in a ceremony in Jakarta.

Inoke said bilateral relations would soar to new heights with Tahir’s appointment as honorary consul. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to various government institutions, especially the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) for preparations ahead of Tahir’s appointment.

“Our bilateral relations started in 1974 and in 2011 we opened our embassy in Jakarta,” he said, adding that the embassy had allowed for enhanced bilateral and cooperation in the region.

“I am pleased to inform you that we have signed 13 memoranda of understanding [MoU] and another 15 MoU are in the pipeline with Indonesia,” he said.

Inoke added that bilateral relations had been improved through better connectivity after Fiji Airways opened a flight linking Suva with Singapore. He also invited the Indonesian business community to come to Fiji, the gateway to the Pacific region.

Also attending the ceremony were the ministry’s director general for Asia Pacific and African affairs Desra Percaya, former Fijian ambassador to Jakarta Ratu Seremaia Tuinausori Cavuilati, whose tenure expired in November 2016, Indonesian Ambassador to Fiji Gary Rachman Makmun Jusuf, and Fijian Embassy Charge d’Affaires Mereseini Waibuta.

Desra said Fiji was an important country in the Pacific and that both countries supported each other in national security, democratic, development and people-to-people relations.

He also said the government supported the enhancement of bilateral relations with the appointment of a respected citizen as Fijian honorary consul in Surabaya.

Tahir, who was born in Surabaya in 1952, said being made honorary consul was a new experience as he was mostly concerned with refugees in the Middle East.

Tahir was the first Eminent Advocate of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) from Asia and only the third worldwide following his appointment in 2016.

However, Tahir said he already had experience in bilateral relations as he was a presidential envoy for Hong Kong and Taiwan, promoting Indonesian exports and managing issues related to Indonesian migrant workers in both countries.

Admitting that he knew nothing about Fiji, Tahir promised that he would learn more about it as honorary consul.

He said he would lead a business delegation to Fiji in April to learn about trade and investment opportunities there.

Tahir said he was offered the honorary consul position following years of good business ties as the embassy’s office was located in one of his buildings.

“Thank you for your trust,” Tahir said.

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