Jakarta (Antara) – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Saeed Al Nahyan chaired the first joint commission meeting between the two countries on Thursday.
During the meeting held at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two discussed the progress of cooperation between Indonesia and the UAE, including addressing the worsening conflict and humanitarian situation in Gaza.
„Indonesia and the UAE share the same concern about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine,” Marsudi said in a press release issued by the Indonesian embassy in Abu Dhabi, which was uploaded to his ministry’s website on Friday.
Regarding the conflict in Gaza, the minister said that both countries hoped that a ceasefire could be reached soon and that humanitarian aid could continue to reach Gaza.
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In addition to the Palestinian issue, the Joint Commission meeting also discussed Indonesia’s progress and cooperation with the UAE in several fields, including trade and investment, energy, climate change, science and technology.
The two countries agreed on several cooperation programs including cooperation in education, culture, tourism, religious affairs, health and personnel.
According to Marsudi, the first joint commission meeting marked a milestone in strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between Indonesia and the UAE.
Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, Hussain Bagis, expressed hope that Thursday’s meeting would boost the two countries’ rapprochement in various fields, from economy to people-to-people relations. .
As part of his visit to the UAE, Minister Marsudi also inaugurated the new building of the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several senior officials, including Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Ahmad Bin Ali Al Shaikh, Minister of State for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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