RRI.CO.ID, Manila – Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to supporting Palestine by strengthening its human resources and institutions during the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on the Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD V) in Manila, the Philippines.

"Realizing an independent Palestinian state requires sustained support from the entire international community," Sugiono said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday (July 24, 2026).

According to him, CEAPAD serves as a platform to transform the solidarity of participating countries into concrete action through partnerships that strengthen Palestinian institutions and human resource capacity.

Sugiono said Indonesia continues to implement its commitments under the CEAPAD IV Kuala Lumpur Action Plan, adopted in 2025, through various capacity-building programs in education, health, institutional strengthening, legal and security sector reform, and agriculture.

In the education sector, Indonesia has once again awarded scholarships this year to Palestinian medical students. It has also launched a new trilateral cooperation initiative with Australia to promote dialogue in education and law enforcement.

Meanwhile, in the agricultural sector, Indonesia will continue its trilateral cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), focusing on capacity development in avocado cultivation management in Palestine.

Sugiono stressed that the international community's attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not diminish amid efforts to strengthen Palestinian institutions and human capacity.

"As we work to build Palestine's institutions and human capacity, the international community's attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not wane. Indonesia will continue to contribute to meeting urgent humanitarian needs through various international organizations," he said.

As part of that commitment, Indonesia will provide humanitarian assistance worth US$2 million this year for the people of Gaza through its partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Concluding his remarks, Sugiono emphasized the importance of CEAPAD in strengthening synergy with regional and international partners to ensure that every initiative complements one another, becomes more effective, and delivers sustainable benefits for the Palestinian people.