Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin expressed his appreciation to Indonesian migrant workers for having made a major contribution to the country's economy.

"The government really appreciates Indonesian migrant workers in any country because we call them foreign exchange heroes, (and) heroes who should be rewarded," he remarked in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday (Nov 26) local time.

The vice president expressed gratitude to all Indonesian migrant workers and advised them to work well and obey the rules while working abroad.

"I hope that you continue to work well, take care of your health, once again, be the best reflection of the Indonesian nation while in a foreign country, the manners, appearance, behavior, and once again, obey the rules that exist in this country," he stated.

He also advised the workers to improve their knowledge while working abroad.

"You can gain additional knowledge abroad. I think it is important to be passed on," Amin remarked.

In a dialogue session with Indonesian citizens in Slovakia, the vice president appealed to Indonesian citizens to gain as much knowledge as possible while in industrial countries and to utilize the knowledge gained to support national development.

Moreover, he said that Indonesian citizens living abroad could make the most of the opportunity to promote typical Indonesian food by opening restaurants.

"Yesterday, I was in Greece. Coincidentally, when I met the minister of foreign affairs, there was the Greek ambassador for Indonesia. He said that rendang was very delicious," he remarked.

Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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