Karachi — Pakistan’s First Lady, Her Excellency Ms. Asifa Bhutto Zardari, received the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Chandra Warsenanto Sukotjo, at Bilawal House in Karachi on Thursday. The ambassador was accompanied by his spouse.
Welcoming the envoy and his spouse to the southern port city, the First Lady congratulated him on the successful organization of the Pakistan-Indonesia Investment Forum in Karachi, commending his efforts to further strengthen bilateral economic engagement.
Historic Bonds and Shared Values
The First Lady observed that Pakistan and Indonesia enjoy longstanding and friendly relations founded on mutual respect, shared values, and close cooperation. She noted that both countries have consistently supported other and worked together to promote peace, development, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
Recalling the historical bonds between the two nations, Ms. Bhutto Zardari highlighted that Indonesia’s founding President, Dr. Ir. Sukarno, shared a close personal friendship with her grandfather, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Both leaders, she said, were united by commitment to the dignity of newly independent nations, Asian solidarity, and a more equitable international order. “Their friendship imparted added warmth and depth to Pakistan-Indonesia relations and continues to inspire efforts to further strengthen the partnership between the two countries,” she remarked.
Expanding Cooperation Across Key Sectors
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 ongoing efforts by 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 oil and other agricultural commodities for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Future Collaboration and Healthcare Partnership
The Ambassador briefed the First Lady on his recent visit to various parts of Sindh, sharing 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.
As a gesture of goodwill, the Ambassador 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 two countries would further expand cooperation across diverse fields for the mutual benefit of their peoples.
