Her Excellency Ms. Asifa Bhutto Zardari, Honorable First Lady of Pakistan, received the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Chandra Warsenanto Sukotjo, who called on her at Bilawal House, Karachi, today. The Ambassador was accompanied by his spouse.
Welcoming the Ambassador and his spouse to Karachi, the First Lady congratulated him on the successful organisation of the Pakistan-Indonesia Investment Forum in Karachi and appreciated his efforts to further strengthen bilateral economic engagement.
The First Lady observed that Pakistan and Indonesia enjoy longstanding and friendly relations founded on mutual respect, shared values, and close cooperation. She said that the two countries have consistently supported each other and worked together to promote peace, development, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
Recalling the historical bonds between the two nations, the First Lady said that Indonesia’s founding President, Dr. Ir. Sukarno, shared a close personal friendship with her grandfather, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She noted that both leaders were united by their commitment to the dignity of newly independent nations, Asian solidarity, and a more equitable international order. Their friendship, she remarked, imparted added warmth and depth to Pakistan-Indonesia relations and continues to inspire efforts to further strengthen the partnership between the two countries.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, education, healthcare, technology transfer, vaccine development, women entrepreneurship, tourism, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.
The First Lady underscored the importance of enhancing agricultural cooperation, noting that Indonesia remains an important destination for Pakistan’s rice exports, particularly premium rice produced in Sindh. She welcomed the ongoing efforts of both governments to revive the Government-to-Government rice cooperation framework, expressing confidence that it would further strengthen agricultural collaboration and create new opportunities for farmers and exporters. She also highlighted the significance of continued cooperation in palm oil and other agricultural commodities for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Highlighting opportunities for future collaboration, the First Lady said that agriculture, food security, women-led entrepreneurship, education, and stronger people-to-people exchanges offer considerable potential for further broadening bilateral cooperation. She also expressed interest in benefiting from Indonesia’s successful experience in family planning and population management, as well as expanding cooperation in healthcare, including technology transfer, vaccine development, and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts towards the eradication of polio.
The Ambassador briefed the First Lady on his recent visit to various parts of Sindh and shared his positive impressions of the province’s agricultural, economic, and investment potential. He reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, agriculture, palm oil, rice, investment, healthcare, and cultural exchanges.
The Ambassador also presented the First Lady with a commemorative publication containing infographics and historical timelines depicting the evolution of Pakistan-Indonesia relations.
The First Lady asked the Ambassador to convey her warm greetings and best wishes to the Government and the people of Indonesia. She expressed confidence that the friendship between Pakistan and Indonesia would continue to flourish and that the two countries would further expand cooperation across diverse fields for the mutual benefit of their peoples.
