VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she has pinned her hopes on the European Union (EU) to support efforts towards and help realize Palestinian independence.

The minister expressed hope during a meeting with EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The meeting came nearly two weeks after Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire to put a halt to days of violence in the Gaza Strip that claimed hundreds of lives, most of them Palestinian.

"Regarding Palestine, we exchanged views (with him). Indonesia warmly welcomes the ceasefire and hopes all sides will be committed to keeping conducive situation," she said while making a press statement following a meeting with the senior EU official.

The minister highlighted the importance of preventing a recurrence of violence by solving the main issue, that is, putting an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine “… through credible negotiations to realize Palestinian independence, based on a two-state solution and internationally-endorsed parameters”.

Echoing her views, Borrel expressed the hope that the two-state solution would not become mere rhetoric, but be translated into concrete action.

"If we really believe that this is the solution, then we must be more active to drive this solution into reality instead of the sentence which actually makes no improvement for the Palestinian people," he said.

The ceasefire has offered a good momentum for the parties to work with each other and get involved in a new effort for the peace process and negotiations in the Middle East, he added. (Antaranews)