JAKARTA: Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi received the Golden Medal for Press Freedom award from the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) during the commemoration of National Press Day in Jakarta on Tuesday (February 20).
“According to Chairman of PWI Hendri C. H. Bangun, the award was presented to Minister Marsudi for her notable contributions as a heroine of Indonesian diplomacy,“ the ministry wrote in a statement received here on Wednesday, reported ANTARA news agency.
The PWI also awarded Marsudi for her steadfast efforts to drive the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage continued improvements in the quality of the Indonesian press, including by organising the Adam Malik Awards (AMA).
AMA is an annual awarding ceremony held by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to appreciate the Indonesian press for quality journalism about the implementation of Indonesia’s foreign politics.
The ministry stated that the PWI also deems Marsudi as being influential in bringing Indonesian diplomacy to the world’s spotlight by guiding the country to actively echo Palestine’s issues and become a successful leader of the G20 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The ministry further stated that Deputy Minister Pahala Mansury received the medal on behalf of Minister Marsudi who was flying to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting after participating in a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Doha, Qatar.
“Minister Marsudi genuinely appreciates this golden medal. She would like to present the award to all teams at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,“ the ministry noted.
The PWI also presented the Golden Medal for Press Freedom to several national figures, including Indonesian 6th President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Djoko Santoso, and late former head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo. -Bernama
Filepix: Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi/REUTERSPix
