Indonesia, New Zealand underline 'urgent' need to end violence in Gaza

By Anadolu staff

Indonesia and New Zealand on Thursday underlined the "urgent" need to end violence in the Gaza Strip, promote a two-state solution, and provide safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

This came during New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ visit to Indonesia, where he met with his Indonesian counterpart F Retno Marsudi and Defense Minister and the country’s future president Prabowo Subianto.

New Zealand, the statement added, has taken a "consistent principles-based approach" to the crisis in Gaza.

Peters also discussed a variety of other bilateral and regional issues, including the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.

“My discussions with Indonesia’s current Foreign Minister and future President indicate that we’re on track to build a strong relationship. We are focused with urgency on finding new, practical ways to work together for our nations' mutual benefit,” a New Zealand Foreign Ministry statement quoted Peters as saying.

He further said that Jakarta matters to New Zealand – “for our security, our trade, and as a key partner on regional and global issues.”

The ministers discussed progress toward achieving the bilateral trade goal of 4 billion New Zealand dollars ($2.45 billion) by the end of 2024 as well as the “level of ambition for the next target,” including through enabling increased exports for horticulture and halal products, greater diversification, and growing education and tourism links.

“We look forward to signing an agreement for mutual recognition of halal products during Minister Marsudi’s upcoming visit to New Zealand. This will provide assurance for Indonesian consumers and New Zealand dairy and meat exporters, for whom Indonesia is an important market for halal products,” Peters said.

Peters also visited Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, to acknowledge the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attacks, the statement said.

“This was an important opportunity to pay our respects to the victims and their families, and to honour the survivors of the Christchurch terrorist attacks," the New Zealand minister said.

On March 15, 2019, Brenton Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist, killed 51 people and injured 40 more at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch.