VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In response to the unstable political situation in Afghanistan, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to maintain good relations between countries which have lasted for around sixty years.

Support has been provided by the Indonesian government, including in the education sector, namely providing scholarships for Afghan students to study in Indonesia.

This time, scholarships are given to 11 students, consisting of five men and six women. Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi in a meeting with the media in Jakarta, Wednesday (27/12) explained that she had met with scholarship recipients studying at the International Islamic University of Indonesia and Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta.According to Minister Retno Marsudi, the Indonesian government's steps to provide scholarships to Afghan students have also inspired other countries, such as the Netherlands and Norway, and have even made agreements with a number of universities in Indonesia. She also said that although the numbers are still limited, this has sparked the desire of other countries to participate.

Minister Retno further explained that providing scholarships for Afghan students could be done by using a collaborative mechanism. Take for example by involving funding from the Indonesian government and philanthropists and friendly countries. She emphasized that other countries' interest in collaborating to provide scholarships to Afghan students began after the International Conference on Afghan Women's Education in Bali last year.