REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla here on Tuesday gave directives to prospective Indonesian ambassadors to Middle East countries and Azerbaijan, according to one of the candidates.
"The vice president gave us directives on manpower, economy, and trade, especially related to oil and gas," stated M. Basri Sidehabi, one of the prospective ambassadors.
Sidehabi remarked that the ambassadors will be posted in Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan.
"The vice president has given us directives, and we know what to do there," he said, adding that they had received clear directives.
In the context of the escalating situation in Middle East countries due to the rise in terrorism, Sidehabi remarked that as representatives of the Indonesian government, they were obliged to protect Indonesian citizens residing in those countries.