Indonesia Puts Efforts to be Elected UN Security Council Member

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian government has intensified its diplomatic campaign to be elected as the United Nations Security Council non-permanent member for 2019-2020 period.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi, Indonesia deserves a position at the UN Security Council for its contribution toward maintaining the world`s peace and stability.

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"Indonesia is ranked 9th of the total 125 countries that contribute peacekeeping troops to the UN missions," she stated at the Annual Press Statement of Foreign Affairs Minister in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to Marsudi, the candidacy to be a member of the UN Security Council is not based on the size of a country since every country has equal rights.

"However, it is based on the country?s track record and commitment to contribute to world peace," she noted.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir remarked that Indonesia will have greater opportunity to contribute more towards maintaining global security and stability if elected as the UN Security Council non-permanent member.

"If we go in, (it will) give us an opportunity to express views and ideas related to global security and stability. We can take certain measures, and our contribution will be bigger," he asserted.

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Indonesia sends some four thousand UN peacekeeping troops to various conflict regions of the world, especially in Africa. In addition, the country is also assisting in the settlement of humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State, Myanmar, last year.

During that time, Indonesia was the first country that could enter the region to provide humanitarian assistance.

ANTARA