Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
IDXChannel - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, led the first Joint Commission Meeting between Indonesia and the UAE in Abu Dhabi on 9 November.
The Joint Commission meeting discussed the progress of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, including trade and investment, energy, climate change, as well as science and technology. Indonesia and the UAE also agreed on several proposals for cooperation, covering education, culture, tourism, religion, health, labour, and more.
In the meeting, both Foreign Ministers also addressed the worsening conflict and humanitarian situation in Gaza.
"Indonesia and the UAE share the same concern about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. We hope for an immediate ceasefire, and humanitarian assistance can continue to reach Gaza," said Foreign Minister Retno in a media release on Friday (10/11/2023).
Furthermore, Foreign Minister Retno conveyed that this first Joint Commission is a historic milestone in strengthening the bilateral relations and cooperation between Indonesia and the UAE.
Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, Husin Bagis, expressed hope that the Joint Commission could strengthen the closeness between the two countries in various fields, from the economic sector to people-to-people contact, fostering closeness at the leadership and community levels.
As part of the visit to the UAE, Foreign Minister Retno inaugurated the new building of the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The inauguration was attended by senior UAE officials, including the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al Mazroui, the Minister of State, Ahmad Al Sayegh, the UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdulla Salem Aldhaheri, and the Director of Asia and the Pacific at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nooh Al Hammadi.
The construction of the KBRI Abu Dhabi building was carried out with direct support from the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, starting in 2020. The building was completed and handed over at the end of November 2022. (WHY)
