Indonesian Delegation Becomes the First to Pay Homage at the Tomb of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Twitter/@araghchi from Khamenei.ir)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian delegation was the first to pay homage at the tomb of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatolah Ali Khamenei, wrote Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono together with the Chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Muzani and members of the delegation visited Iran on a working visit to Mashhad, Friday.

"The Indonesian delegation became the first official delegation to pay homage to the late at the Imam Reza Shrine, Mashhad," wrote Foreign Minister Sugiono in a post on Instagram, as quoted on Saturday (11/7).

The late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in a joint attack by the United States and Israel on February 28, triggering an escalation in the Middle East.

A series of funerals for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held since last Friday in Iran and Iraq, before being buried at the Imam Reza Shrine Cemetery Complex in Mashhad on Thursday.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a post on its website, "Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono made a working visit to Mashhad and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi. The meeting was held in conjunction with the presence of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Indonesian MPR and the Indonesian ulama delegation at the funeral and final tribute to the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

During the bilateral meeting, the two Foreign Ministers reiterated their commitment to continue strengthening the Indonesia-Iran relationship through the improvement of more concrete cooperation in various priority areas.

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs also encouraged the optimization of existing bilateral mechanisms to advance the implementation of various cooperation that provides tangible benefits for the people of both countries.

"We reaffirm our commitment to continue strengthening Indonesia-Iran relations through the improvement of more concrete cooperation in various priority areas," wrote the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Instagram.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, and emphasized the importance of resolving various conflicts through dialogue, diplomacy, respect for state sovereignty, and international law.

Apart from the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the MPR RI, the Indonesian delegation also consists of the General Chairman of PBNU Yahya Cholil Staquf and the Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir.

Carrying the mission of peace and solidarity between countries, the involvement of these figures reflects the deep respect of all elements of the Indonesian nation for the Iranian people.

The delegation also held a meeting with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The meeting confirmed the commitment of both countries to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, increase inter-parliamentary exchanges, and strengthen people-to-people relations as an important foundation for the Indonesia-Iran partnership.

It is known that the Iranian government has extended an invitation to the Indonesian government to pay the last respects to the late Y.M. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei at the Imam Reza Mausoleum complex, Mashhad.

The visit, which was carried out in the midst of the increasingly dynamic situation in the region, reflects the close friendship between Indonesia and Iran that has been established for decades, as well as confirming Indonesia's foreign policy consistency which is free and active in building partnerships with all countries and encouraging peace, stability, and international cooperation.