VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Eid Jalaa' (Evaluation Day), which falls every 17 April, is a big day for Syrians that symbolises glory and freedom. This was stated by Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulmonem Annan in a special interview aired on 2 May 2024 on the Voice of Indonesia terrestrial radio channel. As is known, Eid Jalaa' marks the expulsion of the French army from the land of independent Syria on 17 April 1946.

"Indeed, the day of evacuation or independence day is an important day in which various tribes, nations, and cultures around the world gather. And this day is a great day that for Syrians symbolises glory and freedom, because it is impossible for citizens or a nation to feel honour and freedom if they are denied their independence or are under occupation," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan said.

According to Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan, Eid Jalaa' is a moment for the people to celebrate Syria's glorious history of their collective struggle for independence. "Syrians on 17 April every year celebrate the greatness of their past history, despite the mosaic and diversity that distinguishes them, they are united, making sacrifices up to blood for the independence of their country from French colonialists," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan continued.

Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan, who began serving since February 2023 in Indonesia, also mentioned the Palestinian struggle and efforts to realise peace in the region. "It is impossible for peace to be realised in the world, including in the Middle East in particular without a comprehensive and just peace. When I say comprehensive, we mean that peace must include the core conflict in the Middle East, namely the Palestinian conflict. It is impossible for Arab countries to reach a lasting and durable peace agreement as long as the Palestinian people have not gained their independence, dignity and freedom," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan concluded.

VOInews, Jakarta: Indonesia and Syria share the same vision for peace in the Middle East. This was conveyed by Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulmonem Annan in a special interview titled "The Brotherly Relationship between Indonesia and Syria" which aired on 2 May 2024 on the Voice of Indonesia broadcast channel. "We believe that Syria is in the same boat with Indonesia in terms of realising peace in the Middle East in terms of respect for international rules, UN resolutions and UNSC resolutions, respect for the sovereignty of nations to determine their direction of travel. Syria is the 23rd or 25th country, we don't mention the 25th or 27th, to pioneer the famous Bandung Conference in 1955 which mandated the right of every nation to determine its direction of travel," Ambassador Abdulmon'em Annan said.

The similarity of views can be seen in the principles and approaches taken by Indonesia and Syria in realising peace in Palestine. "I believe that when I look at Indonesia's politics in the face of what is happening in Palestine, I believe that Indonesia's politics are the closest to Syria's attitudes and politics. The coordination between us is established in various forums and organisations," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan continued. Ambassador Annan explained that Syria and Indonesia continue to coordinate in the General Assembly, UN Security Council, Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the Chemical Weapons Prohibition Organisation in Hague.

Among the common values that Indonesia and Syria share, according to Ambassador Annan, are justice, respect for the principles of international rules and the values of pluralism. "We find today the reversal of democratic values, liberalism and general freedom that the West has been singing for decades, maybe even centuries. So peace will not be stable, as affirmed by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi as long as it is not based on justice, on international rules and respect for the principles of international rules, and respect for pluralism," Ambassador Annan told Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta (30/4/2024).

VOInews, Jakarta: A French historian and archaeologist said that every man has two nationalities, his own and Syria, because Syria is the cradle of civilisation. This was conveyed by the Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdulmonem Annan, during a special interview in Arabic that aired on the Voice of Indonesia channel on Thursday (2/5/2024). "Indeed, there is a French archaeologist and historian who said that every citizen in this world has two homelands: the country where he comes from and Syria. Because as you said, Syria is the cradle of civilisation," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan told Voice of Indonesia.

Syria, Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan said, is the first place where the alphabet and written peace documents were known in the history of human civilisation. "Syria is the first place where the alphabet was invented in history. Syria is home to the oldest olive tree ever found. Syria was the first country to introduce written peace treaties. Syria is the home of the Ugarit kingdom, the Marie kingdom that can be traced 3 millennia BC," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan continued.

Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan conveyed the rich history of Syria which is full of tolerance. "Tolerance lives with Christians in Syria today, tolerance with priests in Syria. The language of Christ is spoken in the north of Syria in a city called Ma'loula, called Arami or Suryani. The Syrian people, when they look back at their history, how they have tolerated each other for thousands of years, this really unites them. We as Syrians are proud of this history," Ambassador Annan explained.

The archaeological heritage that exists in Syria to this day, according to Ambassador Annan, can give us a feeling of unity as human beings. "Who goes to Syria today and sees how archaeological remains exist he will feel that these relics belong to humanity, before being attributed to religion and culture. The succession of cultures left various traces, you can see the largest amphitheatre in the world in comparison to archaeological traces, it was built in the Byzantine Roman Era. So was the Umawi Mosque during the Umayyad Dynasty. There was an ancient church before the advent of Islam, there is an inclusive heritage of human civilisation that unites us all. As for each person having various religious cultural identities, it does not erase the common fundamental heritage that we are born and grow with that spirit," Ambassador Abdulmonem Annan concluded.

Photo :IKN Nusantara in Sepaku Sub-district, North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan Province. (ANTARA/Nyaman Bagus Purwaniawan).

VOINews, Jakarta :The Nusantara City Capital Authority (OIKN) signed a grant agreement with the United States in order to realize Nusantara as a smart forest city.

OIKN's Deputy for Green and Digital Transformation Mohammed Ali Berawi noted in the agency's statement here on Saturday that the construction of Nusantara City in East Kalimantan is a rare occurrence, as it pertains to moving the nation's capital.

"We invite international collaboration to be part of the development of Nusantara modern, sustainable, and global city. We appreciate the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) grant support to facilitate the collaboration," Berawi remarked.

He lauded the US government's support in contributing to the construction of Nusantara as a smart city.Meanwhile, USTDA Director Enoh T. Ebong expressed her agency's support for the development of Nusantara City.Ebong remarked that during her career in infrastructure development spanning two decades, she has never seen such extraordinary work like the Nusantara development.She underscored the need for both countries to work hard, so that the grant partnership can be realized optimally.

The USTDA is an independent agency of the US government, with the mission of helping to advance economic development in developing countries. Ebong stated that the platform can support the success of Nusantara's development, facilitate the exchange of good experiences and best practices in smart city development, and open opportunities for cooperation in planning and implementation. 

Indonesia and USTDA signed a US$2.49 million grant agreement that will be utilized to fund technical assistance related to the implementation of smart city technologies and solutions in Nusantara.The OIKN and USTDA are also in the process of discussions to prepare a grant cooperation for the second phase of the command center pilot project. ANTARA/VOI