Indonesian President Prabowo apologises to Singapore and Malaysia over wildfire haze, vows firm action against linked companies
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto apologised on Sunday, November 15, to Singapore and Malaysia on behalf of his government for any impact that forest fires in Indonesia may have had on their people, speaking during a session of the ASEAN meeting in Manila.
According to Reuters, the remarks were conveyed in a statement from Indonesia's presidential palace on Sunday. Prabowo said Indonesian authorities have taken and will continue to take firm action against companies involved in forest fire cases, and that the government is preparing to establish a new body to strengthen forest-fire prevention.
Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro told a news briefing on Sunday that Indonesia was very candid in expressing what it had done to address forest fires, and said the leaders encouraged ASEAN member states to prioritise ratification of the ASEAN Coordinating Center on Transboundary Haze Pollution Control.
Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with large swathes of land scorched, mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Papua. Haze drifting from the fires has repeatedly become a source of diplomatic friction between Indonesia and its neighbours.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 印度尼西亚总统普拉博沃2024年官方肖像。Darwis Triadi 与印度尼西亚国家秘书部，公共领域，via Wikimedia Commons（已合成16:9留边版，人物完整）。Official 2024 portrait of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Darwis Triadi and the Indonesian Ministry of State Secretariat, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
