While hosting Gates at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, Prabowo said Gates deserves the distinction for his leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has mobilized funding for vaccine development and various empowerment programs in Indonesia.
"I will convene with the Council of Decorations of Honor because, on behalf of the Indonesian nation, I want to confer our most prestigious star of honor on a foreign citizen who has helped both the Indonesian people and the global community," Prabowo stated.
He noted that the award ceremony is expected to take place in New York this September.
"Many figures on our side have approved this proposal because you truly deserve the accolade for your contributions to humanity," he told Gates.
Prabowo also highlighted that, since 2009, the Gates Foundation has contributed more than US$159 million to support Indonesia’s progress in sectors such as health, agriculture, and technology.
He affirmed that this funding has enabled the state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma to produce vast quantities of vaccines annually, which are distributed to 902 million people across 42 countries.
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Translator: Genta T, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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