TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Foreign minister supports Palestinian unity during Middle East visit
Faced with a new United States administration that has signaled a normalizing of ties with Palestine, Indonesia's continued support for the latter has managed to balance out the dynamic in the Middle East conflict.
Change Size
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (left) meets with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki at Indonesia’s permanent representative office in New York, the United States, in 2020. (Courtesy of Foreign Ministry/-)
I
ndonesia has reiterated its support for Palestinian unity ahead of key presidential and parliamentary elections this year, just as the world awaits a new dynamic in the Middle East following the inauguration of United States President Joe Biden.
In her first trip abroad this year, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi went to Amman this week to meet with her counterparts from Jordan and Palestine. The question of Palestine was one of the main issues she discussed with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday, as it was with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki.
“I reiterated the importance of the unity and solidity of Palestine. This becomes more important in the lead up to the planned presidential and parliamentary elections there,” Retno said in a joint statement with her Palestinian counterpart in Amman, on Wednesday.
Indonesia welcomed the recent meeting in Egypt in which Palestine’s two rival groups, Fatah and Hamas, agreed on steps designed to ensure the elections are held as planned later this year while also pledging to respect their results.
The two dominant factions – Fatah holds sway in the West Bank while Hamas ruled over Gaza – convened Monday for the talks in Cairo to prepare for the legislative vote on May 22 and a presidential election on July 31, Reuters reports.
Read also: Kindred spirits: Indonesia’s 75 years of unwavering support for Palestine
“Strong unity is crucial to ensure successful elections in Palestine. And to this end, Indonesia stands ready to send our observers upon your request, of course,” Retno said.
