REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) mentioned the name of Mrs Maha Abou Susheh as the Indonesian honorary consul to Palestine while opening the Fifth Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) here, Monday.
"Please allow me to inform you that Indonesia has assigned Mrs Maha Abou Susheh as its honorary consul to Palestine," President Jokowi stated at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), the venue of the OIC summit.
The president deliberately mentioned Susheh as part of Indonesia's emphasis on its consistent stance to support the cause of Palestinian independence.
He also stressed that Indonesia will, in the near future, inaugurate the office of the Indonesian honorary consul in Ramallah, Palestine.
"We hope that God Almighty would bless the OIC summit, so that it will produce a concrete agreement that leads to the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation and its people," he affirmed.
On the occasion, the president also expressed his keenness to listen to the views of the heads of state/government and delegations of the OIC member countries on the Indonesia's stance.
"This summit offers an important momentum to the Islamic world to respond to the situation currently being faced by the Palestinian people and nation through concrete steps," the Indonesian head of state noted.
He remarked that Indonesia will always stay on the front line in supporting the cause of the Palestinian people.
According to Jokowi, Indonesia is consistent in its efforts to support Palestine in gaining its independence, President Jokowi stated.
"In 1962, Indonesia's founding father, the first president of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, Bung Karno, stated that until the Palestinian people gain their independence, the Indonesian nation will stand against Israel's colonialism," President Jokowi emphasized before the leaders attending the Fifth Extraordinary Summit of the OIC.
The Indonesian nation is consistent in keeping its promise, he affirmed.
Therefore, on Monday (March 7), Indonesia along with other OIC member countries stand united to continue the unfinished struggle.
"It is an honor for the Indonesian people and government to fulfill a wish of our brother, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to host the OIC's Extraordinary Summit on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif," President Jokowi emphasized.
He also greeted the leaders and heads of delegations attending the meeting.
"Welcome to Indonesia. A beautiful country having the largest Muslim population in the world, the third-largest democratic nation in the world, and a country that soon opens an honorary consulate in Palestine," he noted.
He expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Palestine.
Several unilateral and illegal actions as well as collective punishments imposed by Israel have caused the suffering of the Palestinian people, he noted.