House Commission I Seeks to Enhance Cooperation with UAE Parliament
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I is exploring ways to increase cooperation across various sectors with the Parliament of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while simultaneously strengthening diplomacy between the two nations.
In a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday, the Chairman of Commission I of the DPR, Utut Adianto, stated that the relationship between Indonesia and the UAE should not be built solely through inter-governmental cooperation, but also needs to be reinforced through parliamentary diplomacy.
Utut received a visit from a UAE parliamentary delegation at the DPR Building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (6/7). During the meeting, he noted that the UAE delegation conveyed their government’s commitment to protecting foreign nationals during the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East.
Furthermore, Utut mentioned that the UAE side proposed strengthening communication between parliamentary institutions through virtual meetings whenever important issues requiring rapid coordination arise.
He also welcomed the commitment to increasing UAE investment in Indonesia. He assessed that the economic relationship between the two countries still has significant room for further development, including within the tourism sector.
“The core purpose of their visit is to strengthen the relationship between our two countries, not just through government-to-government channels, but also through parliament-to-parliament channels,” said Utut.
Meanwhile, the leader of the UAE parliamentary delegation, Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, stated that the visit to the Indonesian DPR reflects the commitment of both nations to tighten ties not only through government channels but also through legislative institutions.
“We are in the Indonesian parliament to activate parliamentary diplomacy and join our brothers in the Indonesian parliament to enhance the relationship between our two countries. We want to ensure there is always engagement that provides added value to the relationship between the UAE and Indonesia,” he said.
Relations between Indonesia and the UAE are said to be continuously evolving, with prospects for increasingly broad cooperation. Ali noted that parliaments have a responsibility to maintain this momentum through strengthened communication and collaboration in various fields.
In addition to bilateral relations, he also encouraged Indonesia and the UAE to strengthen cooperation within multilateral forums. He mentioned that both countries share values and interests that can serve as capital in facing various global challenges.
“We see many shared values that can continue to be promoted. The goal is not only for the interests of Indonesia and the UAE, but also to create a better future for the world,” he added.
The UAE delegation also expressed hope that Indonesia, as a leading nation in ASEAN, could encourage the involvement of Southeast Asian parliamentary bodies in such communication forums.