Pakistan strategically important for Indonesia: envoy

ISLAMABAD: Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Adam Mulawarman Tugio on Thursday said Pakistan held strategic importance for Indonesia as a trusted friend and partner in South Asia.

He said with the rapidly expanding national economy and growing importance of the ASEAN as a trade hub, Indonesia offers wonderful investment opportunities and collaboration to our friends from the business community in Pakistan. Speaking in a reception to celebrate 77th anniversary of Independence Day, he said the both sides are fully aware of the benefits of cooperation and moving ahead by initiating various mechanisms, bilateral consultation forums, policy dialogue, trade promotion, and strengthening of people-to-people contacts to reap more fruits from the productive engagement.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Division Makhdoom Syed Murtaza Mehmood congratulated Indonesia on its Independence Day and underlined the strong bilateral and economic ties between both the countries. The minister also thanked the Indonesian government for providing relief assistance to the flood victims in Pakistan and acknowledged its help in handling the palm oil crisis.

Ambassador Mulawarman Tugio said the 77th anniversary of independence is another milestone for Indonesia marked with significant political and economic achievements, adding that Indonesia is the world’s third largest democracy and a country where Islam and modernity coexist and deliver to bring economic progress.

He said the voices of developing countries and ensuring their participation in the development process were important parameters of Indonesia’s inclusive approach to Indonesia’s presidency in G-20. The ambassador also expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the victims of recent unprecedented flash floods, saying: “We believe that no nation alone can handle such a large-scale natural disaster, and it’s a shared responsibility of all to support people in distress. Indonesia stands with Pakistani brothers and sisters in this difficult time.”

He recalled that as a mark of solidarity, the Indonesian government dispatched humanitarian aid in-kind by two special aircrafts last month and a medical team with $1 million grant to support the ongoing relief operation in Pakistan.