Muzani pushes for direct flights between Indonesia and Uzbekistan

The Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani, is encouraging the opening of direct flights between Indonesia and Uzbekistan to support the development of religious tourism and strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.

Muzani made the proposal during a meeting with the Chairwoman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tanzila Narbayeva, in Uzbekistan on Monday local time.

According to a written statement received in Jakarta, Muzani noted that direct flights would facilitate Indonesian citizens wishing to pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Bukhari in Uzbekistan before continuing their Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

“The potential for religious tourism in Uzbekistan will be highly sought after by Indonesian pilgrims who wish to visit the tomb of Imam Bukhari before proceeding to Umrah. Therefore, before travelling to Makkah and Madinah for Umrah, Indonesian pilgrims could transit through Uzbekistan,” said Muzani.

He added that Indonesia and Uzbekistan possess significant potential to develop the halal industry, as both nations have Muslim-majority populations.

Muzani observed that the halal industry is currently not only related to religious needs but has also evolved into a continuously growing global economic sector.

“The global Muslim population is growing rapidly and is expected to reach almost 30 per cent of the total world population by 2030. This represents a very large consumer base that requires certainty regarding products that comply with Sharia principles,” he stated.

Muzani also touched upon the long-standing historical ties between Indonesia and Uzbekistan, including the visit of Indonesia’s first President, Soekarno, who expressed a desire to pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Bukhari.

“From that point, friendship and bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Uzbekistan have continued to flourish well into the present,” he said.

He expressed hope that the relationship between the two countries would continue to develop across the fields of economy, tourism, and inter-parliamentary cooperation.