"Indonesia has and will always stand by the Palestinian people in their fight for their right to build an independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital city," affirmed Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi.
She made the statement during the opening of an international seminar titled, "Unwavering Support of Indonesia to Palestine and the Role of the United Nations" at the foreign ministry.
She said the firm support of the government of Indonesia for Palestine is in line with the countrys national constitution, in which its preamble states that independence is the right of all nations, and therefore, all kinds of colonization on earth must be eradicated as it is against humanity and justice.
"The relations between Indonesia and Palestine have been established since Indonesias independence. Syeikh Muhammad Amin Al-Husaini from Palestine expressed his support to Indonesias independence several decades ago. He has convinced leaders in the Middle East to recognize the independence of the Republic of Indonesia," she noted.
"He also attended the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in April 1955," she added.
In view of that, she stated that Indonesia had been very concerned that Palestine has been the only nation at the Asia-Africa Conference, which has not gained complete independence until today.
Indonesia is one of the countries that recognized the Palestinian state immediately after it declared its independence on November 15, 1988, and a year after Indonesia initiated diplomatic relations with Palestine.
Regarding the countrys support to Palestine, Retno remarked that the Indonesian government viewed Israeli policies and actions, for instance, the development of residential areas in East Jerusalem as hindering the peace efforts and preventing the establishment of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine.
"The Israeli policy and action is a violation of international law and international human rights rules," she added.
(Reporting by Yuni Arisandy/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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