Govt Urges NAM to Reiterate Support for Palestine`s Independence

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government urged every member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to continue to support the Palestinian people in their struggle to achieve independence.

Such support should continue until Palestine becomes a sovereign nation with East Jerusalem as its capital, Indonesia stressed.

The appeal was voiced by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi during a ministerial level meeting of the Palestine Committee of NAM, held in Venezuela, on Friday, a press statement issued by the foreign ministry on Saturday said.

She also emphasized the importance of NAM member countries support for the resumption of the Palestinian peace process.

The Indonesian government fully supports the French governments initiative to reopen the peace talks.

Indonesia was one of the 28 countries that participated in the Paris Meeting held in June 2016.

The government also encourages civic society organizations to play a bigger role in strengthening support for the peace process.

"Various processes and initiatives carried out for peace in Palestine must be supported," the minister urged.

She also remarked that a stronger international pressure is needed to stop Israel from committing further violence and human rights violations against Palestinian people.

Israel must also stop construction of illegal resettlement in occupied Palestinian land.

"Israel must not be allowed to derive economic benefits from the occupied territory," she noted.

She also called for stronger solidarity with the Palestinians by providing more technical assistance to Palestine.

Support to Palestine is one of the objectives of NAM. Therefore, Indonesia reiterates a call for NAM member agencies to continue to help Palestine achieve its full freedom.

She particularly appealed to NAM members, who have not yet recognized the Palestinian state, to accord their full recognition soon.

The meeting on Palestine was attended by ministers from Indonesia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Palestine, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

It was organized on the sidelines of the NAM ministerial meeting held prior to the 17th Summit of NAM from September 17-18.

Indonesian Vice President M Jusuf Kalla attended the Summit.

ANTARA