TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, visited the Indonesia-Timor Leste cross-country border post (PLBN) in Motaain, East Nusa Tenggara, Thursday, June 18. Mahfud came with Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian.

Mahfud who also serves as the National Agency on Border Management (BNPP) stressed the fundamentals of maintaining territorial integrity, particularly in frontier regions.

“We must guard the border closely, even just a single inch cannot be violated,” he said in a written statement.

The Coordinating Minister directly monitored the development of the government’s project, especially the economic development in Motaain PLBN. According to Mahfud, people’s welfare is one of the national development priorities.

President Jokowi, he added, highly concerned about the development of the frontier regions, including their defense and security infrastructures.

“One of the main goals of our meeting here is to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of the country, as well as to develop the economy of the border regions,” said Mahfud MD.

Tito Karnavian, meanwhile, reiterated that Jokowi paid attention to border regions. As the president’s instruction, cross-border service, markets, shopping centers, terminals, and houses of prayer would be built in Motaain, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The PLBN, Tito added, was not merely a border post, but a display and industrial center in terms of economic defense. “Border areas become the point of equal development. The cross-country border post is the veranda of state sovereignty,” he underlined.

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EGI ADYATAMA