Foreign Minister Sugiono Affirms Indonesia's Support For Peace Steps In Gaza, But Must Be Under UN Mandate

Foreign Minister Sugiono while attending a meeting in Istanbul (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Sugiono, emphasized that Indonesia's support has various efforts to realize peace in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, but reminded the importance of ensuring that every step towards peace in Gaza has a strong international mandate and legitimacy.

The statement was made by Foreign Minister Sugiono at the Ministerial Level Meeting on Palestine which was held in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday.

Speaking at a forum attended by foreign ministers from a number of Arab countries and Muslim majority, Foreign Minister Sugiono expressed Indonesia's support for concrete peace efforts, in accordance with the articles of peace proposals and agreements that have been taken together at a meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Indonesia is also ready to contribute to the implementation of peace, including through the delivery of peacekeeping troops under the UN mandate, to help monitor the situation on the ground, protect civilians, and support the reconstruction of Gaza.

"We support concrete steps towards peace, but its implementation must be under the official mandate of the United Nations or other legitimate mechanisms," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister, citing the statement of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 4. "The clarity of the mandate is very important so that this process has legitimacy and can be implemented effectively," he said.

Foreign Minister Sugiono also emphasized the importance of coordination between member countries of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ensure that peace initiatives are in line with the goal of realizing a two-state solution and supporting the future of the Palestinian people.

The Ministerial Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, was chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Apart from the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Pakistan, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were also present.

The meeting discussed the implementation of the Gaza peace plan, including concrete measures to ensure the effectiveness of the ceasefire and support for the reconstruction process of Gaza.