TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday, May 2, 2024, led a coordination meeting with several heads of Indonesian representatives in Ankara, Turkiye, to finalize steps to protect Indonesian citizens amid the Middle East conflict escalation. The situation in the Middle East is increasingly dynamic, prompting Indonesia to prepare itself for the worst, including protecting Indonesian citizens residing in the region.

"Thorough preparation is always necessary and must be prioritized so we don't falter if the situation ever worsens," said Minister Retno.

Based on records from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of Indonesian citizens living in conflict-prone areas includes 1,524 people in Jordan, 131 people in the West Bank and Israel, 15,708 people in Egypt, 217 people in Lebanon, and 1,232 UNIFIL Task Force personnel, 2,361 people in Syria, 4,866 people in Yemen, and around 796 people in Iraq.

After the meeting, Retno continued her final agenda in Turkey by meeting the Indonesian honorary consuls in the country. According to Retno Marsudi, Turkiye is a country with a large territory, so efforts to fight for Indonesia's interests will be more difficult with only the support from the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and the Indonesian Consulate General in Istanbul.

Therefore, the Indonesian government has appointed five honorary consuls, Turkey citizens who are tasked to help protect Indonesian nationals and help promote economic cooperation.

"During the meeting, I explained the direction of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Turkiye and expressed my gratitude for their role in assisting Indonesia's diplomatic, consular and economic missions in Turkiye," said Retno.

The day before, Retno Marsudi had a meeting with Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and then with Turkiye Defense Minister Yasar Guler, to, among other things, discuss improving bilateral relations between the two countries and global issues.

ANTARA

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