Foreign Ministry: NU, Muhammadiyah Leaders Join Indonesian Delegation to Iran

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that representatives from the Muslim organisations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah will also join the Indonesian delegation visiting Iran this week.

“During the visit, representatives from the PBNU (Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board) and also Muhammadiyah will take part, together with the Foreign Minister and the Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR),” said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang at a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

She confirmed that the representatives of the Muslim organisations joining the delegation would be their chairmen, namely PBNU Chairman KH Yahya Cholil Staquf and PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir.

Yvonne said the Indonesian delegation to Iran represents the Indonesian nation, dispatched by President Prabowo Subianto to visit Iran as a friendly nation to Indonesia.

“This is a representation of the Indonesian nation visiting a friendly country,” she emphasised.

In addition to paying final respects to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Indonesian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sugiono and MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani, will also hold meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

She explained that the bilateral meeting between Sugiono and Araghchi aims to strengthen Indonesia–Iran bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in various priority areas between the two countries.

“It is also hoped that their meeting will accelerate coordination between the two countries in facing various regional and global challenges,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, the meeting between Muzani and Ghalibaf aims to strengthen inter-parliamentary partnership as well as cooperation between the peoples of the two countries, Yvonne said.

The body of Ali Khamenei and his closest relatives was taken to the Grand Musalla of Tehran on 3 July and lay in state in the mosque’s main hall throughout the weekend of 4–5 July.

The funeral procession continued on Monday (6 July) in the city of Qom, followed by separate processions in Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf in Iraq, before the final burial of the body in Mashhad on Thursday (9 July).