House Speaker Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani shakes hands with Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the National Parliamentary Group in IPU, Olena Kondratiuk, in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) at the Nusantara II Building, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (5/10/2022). Photo: Eno/Man

House Speaker Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani expressed her deep concern about the war in Ukraine that had taken many lives in the country and affected the global situation. She spoke in a bilateral meeting with Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the National Parliamentary Group in IPU, Olena Kondratiuk, on the sidelines of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) at the Nusantara II Building, in Jakarta, Wednesday (5/10/2022).

Maharani said Indonesia and Ukraine had enjoyed cordial bilateral relations for the last 30 years, even amid uncertain regional situations due to the war, stressing that the peace process is Indonesia's top priority.

"The Indonesian President's visits to Ukraine and Russia in June reinforced a message of peace. The visits also promote safe passage for food and fertilizer from and to Ukraine and Russia," she said.

Besides, politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said Indonesia welcomed the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine under the Black Sea Initiative. This agreement, said Puan, plays a significant role in cushioning the impact of war on the global supply chains. She went on to say that this positive measure must also be facilitated by easy access to exports of food and fertilizer products from Russia as agreed in the Istanbul agreement.

She urged all countries to honor the agreement and ensure its balanced implementation, saying she hoped this initiative could bring peace to the region. Maharani said that Indonesia encouraged Russia and Ukraine to keep dialogue and diplomatic channels open as an effort to stop the war and move toward peace.

"Parliament must also take its role in helping end the war in Ukraine. I am willing to help bridge communication between conflicting parties. The IPU Task Force on Ukraine can be used to bridge differences between Russia and Ukraine and bridge communication between Russia and Ukraine," she said. (pun/aha-mut)