Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia, Ameer Khurram Rathore, to the reporters said that relations between Indonesia and Pakistan existed even before they became independent. Ameer said that in the 1940s Muhammad Ali Jinnah invited Muslims to join in the struggle for Indonesian independence.

 

"He (Ali Jinnah)instructed the Muslims who were here in those day's Malaysia to fight with Indonesians in their immigration strike," said Ameer.

 

Ameer said Indonesia and Pakistan have many similarities, however, people-to-people contact is the most important thing in relations between the two countries. Ameer even called this the strongest bond in their relationship.

 

"when you are asking about the relation between two countries, the most important thing is how the people of these two countries feel about each other. That's what we call it people-to-people contact, people-to-people relations. That is the most important, most strong bond between the two, and that is the bond that is still the strongest between Indonesia and Pakistan," he continued.

 

Ameer added that the focus of relations between Indonesia and Pakistan continues to develop. If in the past both countries focused on political relations, now they both focus on trade.

 

"We have a fairly good numbers of the [trade] amount, that we trade each other," he said.

 

Pakistan Day, celebrated every March 23, commemorates the Lahore Resolution in 1940 which led to the founding of Pakistan. The date also commemorates the adoption of Pakistan's first Constitution in March 1956. The adoption occurred during the transition from a British dominion to an Islamic republic, making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic.

"This is indeed an honor for the Indonesian nation," Qoumas said in a statement from his office on Sunday, as reported by Antara.

 

He added that President Joko Widodo has been waiting for Pope Francis to come to Indonesia. Quomas recalled that he had personally delivered the president's letter to Francis on June 8, 2022, inviting him to visit Indonesia.

 

"Praise be to God, after almost two years of waiting, Pope Francis will finally visit Indonesia. I believe this will be a special moment, especially for all Catholics," the minister said.

 

Francis had earlier planned to visit Indonesia, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. He hoped that during his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis will observe and experience cultural diversity and religious harmony among various faiths in Indonesia.

 

"Indonesia can maintain tolerance and peace among various faiths, including local faiths. We hope Pope Francis can personally observe the diversity in Indonesia," Qoumas remarked. (Antara)

Minister Retno stated that she had carried out intensive communication with world leaders. Minister Retno also explained that in the last two days, she communicated by telephone and exchanged messages to emphasize the importance of restraint and defuse conflict tensions.

 

“...Two things we convey in all communications. With the parties directly involved, what we are asking for is self-restraint and de-escalation, the importance of de-escalation," she said in a press statement after attending a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (16/4/2024).

 

The leaders included the ministers of foreign affairs from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union. Besides that, ministers of foreign affairs from Germany and the Netherlands, as well as the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States are also contacted by her.

 

"Meanwhile with our other friends, for example with the foreign ministers of Germany, the Netherlands, and Middle Eastern countries, we are encouraging everyone, we use our influence to prevent escalation,” she continued.

 

Minister Retno Marsudi also explained that diplomatic efforts had been made in international forums, including at the UN Security Council, although they had not yet produced significant progress. Furthermore, Minister Retno added that all parties currently have begun to calculate the impact if an escalation occurs.

 

Government to mitigate economic impacts

Meanwhile, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto said the Indonesian government is preparing to mitigate the impact of Middle East tensions on the global economy. According to him, phenomena such as rising oil prices, global financial market uncertainty, and the rise in US dollar value should be mitigated.

“...Of course, what we have to mitigate is the shift of assets to safe havens. In this case, the US dollar, gold and nickel have also experienced increases. The exchange rate and stock price index have also weakened globally. However, compared to peer countries, Indonesia is still relatively safe," said Hartarto after attending the same meeting.

Minister Hartarto said further that the government will execute some economic policies to mitigate the impact. That includes fiscal and monetary integration, maintaining exchange rate stability.

"Of course, we need to implement several policies, including fiscal and monetary integration, maintaining exchange rate stability, maintaining the state budget and revenue, and monitoring increases in logistics and oil prices,” he continued.

Minister Airlangga also said that the government continues to carry out structural reforms, maintain investors' expectations, and strengthen competitiveness to attract long-term investment to the country.