Jakarta, Foreign Affairs Ministry Mulls Reopening Sidewalk before US Embassy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta provincial government is coordinating with the Foreign Affairs Ministry about the sidewalk in front of the United States or US Embassy office on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta.

“Jakarta Bina Marga Agency along with Foreign Affairs Ministry and the US Embassy seek best technical solutions for all parties,” said Jakarta Bina Marga Agency head of data and information, Wiwik Wahyuni, in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 6, quoted from Antara.

Wiwik explained that by considering the public enthusiasm and aspirations to use the sidewalk before the embassy office, cooperation is needed. “And also by considering that the area is part of the security parameters of the embassy,” he added. 

The US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y Kim, meanwhile, stated that the embassy is willing to open the sidewalk to the public and is ready to coordinate with the Indonesian government.

“Accessibility, safety, and walkability are all important considerations for a major city like Jakarta. We have informed the Indonesian government that the U.S. would welcome the reopening of the sidewalk in front of the Embassy,” said the US Ambassador via his Twitter @USAmbIndonesia on Tuesday.

As widely known, the sidewalks in front of the US Embassy office on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan have been long off-limits to pedestrians as they are blocked with the moveable concrete barrier (MCB) and barbed wires.

ANTARA

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