REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will leave for the Middle East to submit official letters from President Joko Widodo to the Iranian president and Saudi king in connection with the conflict between the two countries.
"The presidential letters have been signed. If it goes as planned, I will leave this evening," the minister stated here on Tuesday.
In response to a question on whether she would first visit Iran or Saudi Arabia, Minister Retno noted that she would await confirmation regarding the time made available by the two countries' leaders for her visit.
Whoever I will meet first is a schedule issue and has nothing special behind it, she said, adding that Indonesia's neutral stance made it possible for the nation to play a role.
Besides presenting the president's letters to the Iranian president and Saudi king, Minister Retno claimed that she had also planned to discuss several matters with her counterparts, including Indonesia's readiness to help settle the conflict between the two countries.
"This shows Indonesia's concern over the conflicts in the Middle East and the close relations between the Indonesian president and Saudi king as well as the Iranian president," she pointed out.
President Widodo has decided to send Foreign Minister Marsudi to present letters to Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to convey Indonesia's readiness to settle the conflict between the two countries.
President Widodo had earlier remarked that he would send a special envoy in response to the conflict and the deteriorating relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
"Next week, I will send a special envoy to Iran and Saudi Arabia. The information on the visit will be made public after the envoy departs, but it would be done immediately, perhaps on Monday, Tuesday, or even sooner," the president stated at the State Palace on Friday.
President Widodo noted that the strained relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia must be immediately improved, and in view of this, the envoy should be dispatched urgently.
He said the special envoy was being sent to demonstrate Indonesia's commitment to finding a solution to solve the problem.
"If I only call by phone, it would be different, but if I send a special envoy, it would show that we are indeed serious. If by phone, I could do it myself," he added.
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