Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Indonesia for support at the Paris Conference on peace in the Middle East on January 15, 2017.
The conference was attended by 70 countries and the topics discussed included follow up mechanisms and outcomes for peace treaties.
A statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Amman, Jordan that ANTARA received on Tuesday, stated that President Abbas made the request after a visit from the Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan and Palestine, Teguh Wardoyo, in Ramallah on Sunday.
The ambassador confirmed that the Indonesian government had appointed Deputy Foreign Minister A.M. Fachir to provide full support for the Palestinian government.
President Abbas was said to have appreciated the position taken by the ambassador in supporting the Palestinian people.
He also hoped that Wardoyo would become the first Indonesian government representative to an independent Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem.
President Abbas also asserted that Indonesians are always welcome in Palestine and should consider Palestinian land to be their own.
The meeting between the Palestinian President and the Indonesian Ambassador was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Palestine, Ziad Abu Amr, the Diplomatic Advisor to the President, Majdi Khaldi, and the Director of Presidential Palace Protocol.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Palestine had hoped that a memorandum of understanding between the two countries can come into place, particularly regarding closer economic ties.
The Indonesian government responded by promising to continue to provide support to the Palestinian economy through programs that will help with recruiting and training professionals with potential in Palestine, as well as other Muslim countries.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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