DIGIVESTASI - Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with representatives of conflict-prone countries in Ankara. Pak Retno discussed the protection of Indonesian citizens in conflict-prone areas. "We all know that the situation in the Middle East is very dynamic. We will continue to work on de-escalation.

However, we must also be prepared to face an increasingly bad situation, including the protection of Indonesian citizens, confirming that a coordination meeting with several affected representatives will be held in Ankara, and I will lead it directly," Retno said on May 3, 2024. He conveyed this at a press conference on Friday. The meeting discussed the latest developments in the conflict-prone region. The data provided shows thousands of Indonesians live in conflict-prone areas.

Details are below. 

Jordan: 1,524 Indonesian citizens 
West Bank and Israel: 131 Indonesians 
Egypt: 15,708 Indonesian citizens 
Lebanon: 217 Indonesians, 1,232 UNIFIL task force staff 
Syria: 2,361 Indonesians 
Iraq: ± 796 Indonesian citizens 
Yemen: 4,866 Indonesian citizens 

"We also discussed evacuation preparations in case the situation worsens. We must always be fully prepared so as not to panic even if the situation worsens, that's the most important thing," he said. 

In addition, Retno also shared her last activity in Ankara, namely her meeting with Turkiye's Honorary Consul for Indonesia. Therefore, Retno appointed five honorary consuls consisting of Turkish citizens (WN) to help protect Indonesian citizens and encourage economic cooperation. 

"Turkey is a country with a large territory. Given its vast territory, efforts to fight for Indonesia's interests will be more difficult if only supported by the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and the Indonesian Consulate General in Istanbul five honorary consuls "who are given special missions by the Indonesian government to contribute to protecting the Indonesian nation and also encourage economic cooperation," Retno said.

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