VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi received a medal of merit from the Peruvian government for promoting bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Peruvian government honored Marsudi with the El Sol del Peru or The Sun of Peru in the rank of Grand Cross when the Indonesian minister visited Lima recently, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement released on Thursday.

The Sun of Peru is the highest civilian award given to local residents and foreigners who have excelled in the fields of arts, literature, culture, and politics.

Marsudi received the medal of merit for her efforts to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries since she was the director general of America and Europe at the Foreign Ministry.

When she held the post of the director general, she had taken various steps to enhance bilateral cooperation between Peru and Indonesia by creating a mechanism of bilateral dialogs between the two nations, among others.

The ministry stated that Retno was the first Indonesian citizen to receive the award.

The other figures who have received the awards include Japanese Emperor Akihito, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Marsudi remarked that she received the award on behalf of the Indonesian people and diplomats as well as her Peruvian colleagues who had worked hard to enhance the bilateral relations. (ANTARA)