Iran, Indonesia urge stronger ties

28 May 2011 | 16:01 Code : 13177 Latest Headlines
 Iran and Indonesia have called for the enhancement of Tehran-Jakarta ties during a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Indonesian counterpart Mohammad Marty Natalegawa.
“The people of Iran and Indonesia are two Muslim and friendly nations with a bright history, and it is necessary to invest in the future relations between the two countries based on this firm foundation,” Salehi said during the meeting held on the sidelines of the 16th ministerial convention of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on the island of Bali in Indonesia. 

Iran and Indonesia enjoy high potentials that need to be explored and realized in line with the interests of the two nations, the top Iranian diplomat further said, according to a statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry. 

Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa, for his part, described Tehran-Jakarta ties as firm and called for the enhancement of bilateral relations via the fulfillment of fresh potential for cooperation. 

The Iranian and Indonesian foreign ministers also urged unity among Islamic and developing countries. 

The Indonesian top diplomat thanked the Iranian delegation for their participation in the 16th meeting of foreign ministers of the NAM, and expressed enthusiasm about the next NAM summit which will be held in and chaired by the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

Natalegawa also pointed out that his country supports the rights of all nations to use peaceful nuclear energy based on international regulations. 

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the latest regional and international developments and stressed the importance of increased participation in international organizations such as the NAM, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the United Nations. 

The 16th ministerial meeting of the 118-member movement opened in Bali on Wednesday to discuss major global issues, including human rights, climate change, pandemics, food security and development. 

Egypt currently chairs the NAM and will hand over its rotating presidency to Iran at the end of this year's conference.