Indonesia Builds Hospital in Gaza

Jakarta (News Today) - Indonesia plans to build a hospital in Gaza worth Rp20 billion (more than US$2 million) to increase health facilities in the region, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Saturday. Speaking at a joint press conference after meeting with visiting Pelestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday, he said Indonesia was ready to give any kind of humanitarian aid needed by Palestine.

"We will build a hospital in Gaza worth Rp20 billion in the hope it will increase public health facilities in Gaza," he said.

Indonesia, he said, was also ready to continue to contribute to the development of capacity for the establishment of a free Palestinian state as it had been doing so far through a forum of Asian-African countries.

"I have also conveyed Indonesia’s readiness to become part of the peace process by playing the right role the Palestinian leadership wishes to," he said.

President Yudhoyono in a meeting lasting for around 30 minutes reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment and support to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"Indonesia has taken a stance and remained consistent with it namely fully supporting Palestinian indepedence believing that it would deliver true justice to the Palestinian people and also the world," he said.

President Abbas in the meeting briefed President Yudhoyono on the latest situation in Paliestine and the prospects of peace efforts now entering a new stage to settle the long conflict between Palestine and Israel. In his statement after the press conference he expressed appreciation to and thanked Indonesia for having always supported the Palestinian people.

President Abbas on his second visit to Indonesia also expressed hope for the establishment of a free Palestinian state through a peace process supported by Arab countries and the international community. He also expressed hope for reconciliation between Hamas and his group for the sake of the Palestinians.

At the end of the press conference President Abbas also expressed hope he could invite President Yudhoyono someday when the Palestinian state was realized so they could pray together at the Al Aqsa Mosque. President Abbas’s delegation includes religious affairs minister Mahmoud SA Alhabash, the spokesman of the Palestinian National Authority, Nabil Go Aburudainah, presidential advisor for international affairs Abdallah HJ Alfrangi and three President Abbas’s advisors namely Adnan Nayef Abedlrahim, Mustafa Fayez Mustafa Abu Alrub and Majdi AM Khaldi.

President Yudhoyono at the meeting was flanked by coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs Djoko Suyanto, foreign minister Marty Natalegawa, minister/state secretary Sudi Silalahi, religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, health minister Endang Sedyaningsih and cabinet secretary Dipo Alam.

Source : kompas.com

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