Jakarta, Jubi – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gave a noken, or a traditional Papuan woven bag, to New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Nanaia Mahuta during her visit to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021.
The president also explained how Papuan mamas made the noken, as well as expressed gratitude for New Zealand’s support for Indonesia’s territorial integrity.
To Mahuta, Jokowi said that development in Papua province was his priority. “I am focusing, among other things, on infrastructure development in Papua so that Papua is connected to other parts of Indonesia and the Papuan people enjoy prosperity,” said Jokowi, as quoted by Antara.
Jokowi mentioned a number of infrastructure development successes since the first period of his administration including the 3,422 kilometer Transpapua Road, 1,098 kilometer Papua Border Road, and the 1.3 kilometer Youtefa Bridge.
“I really hope that New Zealand can understand the development of Papua comprehensively,” he added.
Jokowi further emphasized that Indonesia would invite representatives from Pacific countries to the Group of 20 Summit in Bali next year (October 2022).
“At last week’s COP26 [the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference], Indonesia, in particular, conveyed the voices of small archipelagic countries that are members of the AIS [Archipelagic and Islands State],” he said.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said Nanaia Mahuta’s visit to Indonesia was her first overseas trip since her appointment last year. Indonesia was the third destination in her seven-nation trip after Australia and Singapore.
According to Marsudi, Indonesia and New Zealand have partnered comprehensively since 2018 and the partnership has become a strong foundation in both countries’ efforts to increase cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Of course this partnership is based on the principle of mutual benefit, mutual respect, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said. (*)
Editor : Edi Faisol
