In his remarks during the occasion, the Indonesian President said: The rice donation was a direct request from the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena to him through the Sri Lanka Ambassador in Jakarta adding that he responded quickly because the situation required immediate action. He observed “today, Alhamdulilah (Thank God), we can send the rice aid. As a friend and as one of the biggest countries in Asia, it is deservedly for Indonesia to join together with Sri Lanka to face this situation. With saying Bismillahirohmanirohim, hereby I now declare the shipment of rice donation as a gesture of Indonesia’s friendship towards Sri Lanka”.

A High-level representation of Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Minister of State Owned Enterprises, Rini Mariani Soemarno, Puan Maharani Co-ordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Cabinet Secretary of Indonesia Dr. Promono Anung, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Mat Syukur, Head of BULOG Djarot Kusumayatti and representatives of other Indonesian institutions were associated with the President of Indonesia. Staff of the Embassy of Sri Lanka joined Sri Lanka’s Ambassador at the ceremony.  

The Indonesian donation of 5,000 MT symbolizes the strong friendship that exists between Indonesia and Sri Lanka and is a gesture of goodwill towards Sri Lanka at a time of special need. The consignments which are to be shipped in a few days are expected to arrive in Colombo in March.  

The bilateral engagement has been nurtured over the many decades particularly as partners in Asian-African solidarity culminating in the Bandung Conference of 1955 and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and expanding to several areas of cooperation in contemporary time.