Holding A Bilateral Meeting, Minister Basuki Expects Tajikistan Support In WWF 2024

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (right) and Chairman of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea (IFAS) Sulton Rahimsode (left). (Photo: Doc. Ministry of PUPR)

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono held a meeting with delegates/representatives from Tajikistan led by the Chairman of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea (IFAS) Sulton Rahimsode.

The meeting was held in the 10th World Water Forum 2nd Stakeholder Consultation Meeting (SCM) in Bali, on October 12-13, 2023.

Minister Basuki specifically conveyed an invitation so that Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon could attend the meeting at the level of the Head of State at the 10th World Water Forum, in May 2024.

"I would like to invite the president of Tajikistan to participate in the 10th World Water Forum in Bali at a statement on the commitment of the state leadership regarding the spirit of cooperation in water management," Basuki said in a written statement, Friday, October 13.

Basuki hopes that the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) will produce concrete steps in water management and can become a bridge/connector for all international agendas on water.

"The most important thing is not only what has been done, but what the next steps will be taken after the 10th World Water Forum so that the results of the meeting can be useful," he said.

Meanwhile, Sulton Rahimsode as Chairman of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea (IFAS) said that the implementation of the 10th WWF is also expected to focus on real action of the participants who come to make new commitments to water management.

"It would be very helpful if all these commitments were contained in one document," he said.

Sulton also expressed its hope that the Government of Indonesia, especially Minister Basuki, can participate in the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) or the United Nations Climate Change Conference which will be held in Dubai, in November.

"In COP 28, the water management sector has become an important thing related to climate change. For this reason, we need the involvement of the minister and team in encouraging more in-depth discussions regarding water management and its relationship with climate change," he said.

Responding to this, Minister Basuki stated that the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had prepared an official statement from the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo at COP 28, which stated the importance of water management as one of the steps to deal with climate change.

"This is in line with the president's statement which will encourage the focus of water management in COP 28. I have also conveyed to the Foreign Minister to include the importance of water management in COP 28," he said.