Indonesia Reaffirms Support for Palestinian Capacity Building

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Palestine through the strengthening of human resources and institutional capacity, as part of efforts to realise an independent Palestinian state. The commitment was conveyed by Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono at the 5th Ministerial Meeting for the Conference on the Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD V) in Manila, Philippines. “Realising an independent Palestinian state requires sustainable support from the entire international community,” Sugiono said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday. He stated that CEAPAD serves as a foundation for member countries to transform solidarity into concrete action through partnerships in strengthening Palestinian institutions and human resources. In line with the CEAPAD IV Kuala Lumpur Action Plan, agreed upon in 2025, Indonesia is continuing various capacity-building programmes in the fields of education, health, institutional strengthening, legal and security sector reform, and agriculture. In the education sector, Indonesia is again providing scholarships for Palestinian medical students this year. Indonesia has also launched new trilateral cooperation with Australia to encourage dialogue in education and law enforcement. Sugiono stressed that international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not wane amidst efforts to build Palestinian capacity. “Amidst efforts to build Palestinian capacity and institutions, the international community’s attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not diminish. Indonesia will continue to contribute to meeting urgent humanitarian needs through various international organisations,” he said. As part of this commitment, Indonesia will channel humanitarian aid worth US$2 million this year through a partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the people of Gaza. In his closing remarks, Sugiono emphasised the importance of CEAPAD strengthening synergies with various regional and international partners so that every initiative is complementary, more effective, and provides sustainable benefits for the Palestinian people.