The prize was handed over by ADFP secretary general Al Mahfoudh Bin Bayyah, who along with another representative of the forum and United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri, visited Jokowi at Merdeka Palace.

“We are here today to deliver the 2022 Imam Hasan bin Ali International Peace Prize to [the President] in recognition of your outstanding efforts toward peace,” the secretary general said.

Accompanying the President at the meeting was State Secretary Pratikno, who later told the press that the award was an honor for Indonesia as whole.

“This is a very prestigious award bearing the name of Hasan bin Ali, who was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,” Pratikno said. “This is, of course, an exceptional award for us, the government, for the President and for the Indonesian people. This also shows that the President has been trusted as a leader who spreads a message and culture of peace to the world.”

At the same time, Pratikno added, it was sign of support “for all of us to succeed in hosting the G20 for world peace and prosperity”.

As the leader of Indonesia’s G20 presidency, Jokowi has promoted global cooperation despite major sources of geopolitical tension, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

Resisting pressure from the West to isolate and condemn Russia, the President chose to keep all communication lines open and promote a global recovery agenda using the G20 presidency as his vehicle.

He also became the first Asian leader to visit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the midst of war, which he then followed with a visit to Moscow to help spread the message of ending the conflict.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post earlier this month, Jokowi called on leaders of the Group of 20 to resolve their differences at the Bali summit later this month, in the hope of easing tensions arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.

Jokowi said 17 of the G20 leaders had confirmed their attendance and that he would continue to encourage all of them to come, saying that developing countries were “really waiting” for the leaders to come up with solutions for the food and energy crises.

The Ukraine war has sharply impacted global food and energy supplies, after a long interruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. (ipa)

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