"Indonesia has been participating in humanitarian missions to provide aid and establish schools in conflict areas. We are ready to work together with Indonesia".
Bogor, W Java (ANTARA News) - Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Massoumeh Ebtekar, stated that her government will support the nomination of Indonesia as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2019-2020.

"Indonesia has been participating in humanitarian missions to provide aid and establish schools in conflict areas. We are ready to work together with Indonesia, " Ebtekar stated in an exclusive interview with Antara News Agency here on Tuesday.

Ebtekar is in Bogor, West Java, to attend the High-Level Consultation of World Muslim Scholars on Wasatiyyat (moderate) Islam (HLC-WS), which takes place from May 1 to 3, 2018. The event was opened by President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace.

According to her, Indonesia is the largest country in the world in terms of Muslim population and in promoting moderate version of Islam.

"I think it is important for Indonesia to play a more prominent role among UN members. I am sure my government will support Indonesia," the vice president asserted.

The nomination of Indonesia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2019-2020 was launched by the Indonesian government at the UN General Assembly in 2016.

So far, more than 120 countries have remarked their support for Indonesia`s nomination.

To be re-elected, Indonesia should get support from 129 countries as a threshold of UNSC`s non-permanent member election, which will take place in June 2018.

Previously, Indonesia had served three times as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, namely in the period 1973-1974, 1995-1996, and 2007-2008.

In the 2018 election, Indonesia competes with Maldives for a seat in the non-permanent UNSC from the Asia Pacific region. The non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, composed of 10 countries, are elected every two years.

Reporter: Libertina W. Ambari
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018