"The President deserves congratulations for the progress made during his administration, the progress that has led to the protection of forests he made since we met last year," Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said at Jakarta`s Tanjung Priok port here on Friday.
President Yudhoyono made a visit to Greenpeace`s Rainbow Warrior ship that had berthed at the port.
Kumi said the homework of preserving the environment however had not yet finished but Greenpeace had appreciated various measures that President Yudhoyono had taken.
"Obviously crucial homework still has yet to be finished and we in the Greenpeace are fully supportive to the (Indonesian) government`s commitment to materializing forests without deforestation," he said.
He said he hoped the President would continue supporting and providing a room for the creation of strong and dynamic civil societies in the framework of protecting the environment to assure a better future.
"It is only by doing that will we be able to assure achievement of progress in creating a green future in Indonesia in line with President Yudhoyono`s vision," he said.
President Yudhoyono on Friday morning visited the Rainbow Warrior III one of the three ships that had been operated by Greenpeace activists which is the reincarnation of Rainbow Warrior I that was bombed and sunk in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 10, 1985 while it was protesting against a nuclear test by France on Muroroa island around Polynesia.
To replace the ship Greenpeace later operated Rainbow Warrior II in 1989 which was later grounded in 2011.
Rainbow Warrior II had visited Indonesia three times namely in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
The ship was once rejected to enter the country`s waters namely in 2010.
Reporting by Muhamad Arief Iskandar
(H-YH/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
