"Indonesia`s full support for Palestine is a must based on our 1945 Constitution," the foreign affairs ministry`s Director General of Information an Public Diplomacy Andri Hadi said during a discussion on "Palestine`s Challenges To Become UN Member" at the Parliament building here on Friday.
Hadi said Palestine`s struggle for statehood was based on principles applicable to every nation.
"Freedom is the right of every nation, therefore no country should ever try to deny another nation`s right to freedom," he said.
Indonesia`s support to Palestine to become a UN member was part its of efforts to fulfill its constitutional mandate, according to Hadi.
"We will consistently support Palestine in its struggle to gain independence and live peacefully next to its neighbors," Hadi said.
Other speakers at the discussion were Muhammad Nadjib, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I, Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Fariz Mehdawi, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Triyono, the foreign affairs ministry`s Middle East Affairs Director Ronny Prasetyo Yuliantoro and Ali Mun Hanif, a lecturer of state Islamic University (UIN).
Ambassador Mehdawi said Palestine wanted to exercise its right to be independent and become a member of the UN.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on Friday made the historic move of handing a letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon that asked the United Nations to admit the state of Palestine as a full member, UN officials said.
Abbas handed over the letter in a folder adorned with the Palestinian eagle crest in Ban`s meeting room on the third floor of the UN headquarters building. After receiving the folder, the UN secretary general opened it and briefly studied the letter.
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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