JAKARTA, Indonesia

Indonesia hopes the EU will play a greater role in efforts to resolve the Palestine issue, the country’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi conveyed this to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during a meeting in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

“We exchanged ideas over Palestinian issues. Our stance is that Indonesia welcomes the cease-fire and we hope all parties are committed to maintain the conducive situation,” Marsudi said in virtual press conference.

She emphasized the importance of efforts to prevent the recurrence of Israel’s violence against Palestinians.

“We must increase our efforts to resolve the core problem, which is Israeli occupation, through credible negotiations based on a two-state solution,” the minister added.

Borrell agreed that a two-state solution is essential to resolve the Palestine issue and it must be actively encouraged and pursued.

“After the cease-fire, we should not wait for a few years until the next cycle of violence. We must start a new peace process and negotiations in the Middle East,” he said.

Palm oil problems

Marsudi also called on the EU to treat Indonesia’s palm oil industry fairly, stressing that the “government has maximized efforts to produce palm oil in a sustainable manner.”

Borrell, however, denied that the EU plans to ban the import of palm oil because it knows how important the industry is for Indonesia.

“We have to find solutions to address the sustainability and economic issues. We will work together to do it,” he said.

Marsudi and Borrell also discussed several other issues, including the Myanmar crisis and COVID-19 vaccinations.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the EU and German financial institution KfW for an additional grant of €10 million (over $12.2 million), with the funds to be used for two university hospitals in South Sulawesi and East Java, especially for COVID-19 research.