He made the remarks in reference to India sending aid to Indonesia under 'Operation Samudra Setu', an initiative against COVID-19. The aid was brought to Indonesia by Indian warship INS Airavat L24.
"This is a reminder that in facing the COVID-19 pandemic, we must strengthen solidarity and continue to join hands as fellow human beings so that this pandemic can be more easily faced and can be ended immediately," the minister said in a statement released on Wednesday.
INS Airavat L24, which docked at Tanjung Priok Port on July 24, 2021, brought as much as 100 MT liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in 5 ISO cryogenic tanks and 300 oxygen concentrators for handling COVID-19 in Indonesia.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, India, as a producer of AstraZeneca vaccines, has provided considerable help to Indonesia to secure the supply of the vaccines through the COVAX multilateral facility, the minister noted.
The Indonesian people should do their best to help a country that is experiencing a great wave of the pandemic, he added.
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Indonesia also sent oxygen cylinders some time ago, when India was battling its second COVID-19 wave, Hartarto said.
Such initiatives for provision of assistance, not only with India, but also with other countries such as Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, are a form of solidarity, he added.
Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Khumar Bharti, lauded the assistance provided by the Indonesian government, saying India has responded by sending medical assistance needed by Indonesia.
"It is an honor for me to convey that in accordance with the spirit of friendship between these two maritime neighboring countries, the government of India has returned Indonesia's good attitude by sending medical assistance that the Indonesian government desperately needs in the current crisis," he said.
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Translator: Kuntum K, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
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