Indonesia to host OIC summit

February 04, 2016, 02.30 PM | Source: The Jakarta Post
Indonesia to host OIC summit


JAKARTA. Indonesia has reaffirmed its support for the independence of Palestine as it is preparing to host an Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in March.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he had asked relevant ministers to start organizing the conference and follow the successful implementation of the Asian-African Conference in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, last year.  

“The summit was initially to be held in Morocco but it said that it was not ready. I then asked our foreign minister [Retno Marsudi] to express Indonesia’s readiness to host the OIC Extraordinary Summit,” the President said as quoted by tempo.com during the opening of a limited Cabinet meeting on the OIC summit at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In the meeting, President Jokowi called on all ministries, local administrations and the public to participate in the organizing of the conference.

“All must be prepared, from confirming the attendance of heads of state and governments to security related matters,” said Jokowi.

He further said the OIC summit was part of the government’s efforts to show the world that Indonesia was a safe country and that Indonesian Muslims were tolerant.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the summit would be held in Jakarta on March 6-7. Minister Retno and State Secretary M. Pratikno are responsible for securing the summit’s venues, organizing conference materials, security and other facilities.

Retno said the summit would start with a senior officials meeting, which would be followed up by a ministerial meeting.  

“These two meetings will be held on March 6,” she said, adding that the OIC Extraordinary Summit would be held on March 7.

Retno said the summit held several important meanings for Indonesia, the OIC and the world. First, it was important in the context of the Middle East Quartet negotiations, which stopped in May 2015, and second, concerning conditions in al-Quds that have yet to improve.

 

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie

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