Prabowo approves regional wildfire aid, foreign minister says

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has approved accepting assistance from neighboring countries to help fight forest and land fires, Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is finalizing operational and technical procedures for receiving the assistance, Nasir said.

“It has been discussed and is being processed. As we know, the president has already given his approval,” Nasir said after a meeting at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said President Prabowo was closely monitoring the fires because they had severely affected several Indonesian provinces and the wider Southeast Asian region.

Before seeking regional support, Indonesia had mobilized substantial domestic resources. As of October 13, 60,177 personnel, including firefighters, military and police officers, forestry officials and local volunteers, had been deployed.

Aircraft and helicopters have also been deployed for aerial water bombing and cloud seeding in high-risk fire zones.

“The measures Indonesia has taken so far are decisive and robust, reflecting our firm commitment to resolving this crisis as quickly as possible,” Nasir said.

The announcement follows Malaysia’s offer of assistance. During a September 18 meeting with Prabowo in Hambalang, West Java, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi offered one aircraft, three helicopters and 52 firefighting personnel.

Prabowo has described the haze as a shared environmental crisis.

“The fires are in Indonesia, but their impact is felt by our neighbors, so we welcome their support,” he said.

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Translator: Uyu Septiyati Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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