Indonesia’s Minister Attends Inauguration of B.J. Habibie Bridge in Dili
Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono crosses over B.J. Habibie Bridge in Bidau Sant’ana Village, Dili, Timor-Leste, Thursday (29/8). Photo by: BKP Ministry of PUPR/ES
Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono on behalf of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the inauguration of a new bridge Bidau Sant’ana Village, Dili, Timor Leste under the name of Indonesian former President B.J. Habibie.
The bridge spans 540 meters long with a width of 8 meters and 2 lanes and was built by Timor Leste state-owned enterprise with a budget of US$ 3.9 million.
The event also coincided with the 20th Commemoration of Timor-Leste Referendum on Thursday (29/8).
“President Joko Widodo has assigned me to represent Indonesia to attend the 20th Commemoration of Timor-Leste Referendum at the invitation of the President of Timor-Leste. It is an honor for the Government of Indonesia, especially for Bapak B.J. Habibie, to have a bridge in Dili under his name,” Basuki said in his remarks, adding that B.J. Habibie is a statesman admired by the people of Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Basuki also conveyed a message from President Jokowi that Indonesia and Timor-Leste could continue to boost economic cooperation in border areas, such as Motaain, Motamasin, and Wini, especially in the face an increasingly tougher global competition.
After the inauguration ceremony, Indonesia’s Minister of Public Works and Public Housing and President of Timor Leste’s National Parliament Arao Noe de Jesus rode a car driven by former Timor-Leste’s President Jose Manuel Ramos Horta. At the end of the ceremony, Basuki played drums to accompany Ramos Horta and Indonesian Ambassador Sahat Sitorus in singing Indonesian song Bengawan Solo as a symbol of friendship and collaboration between the two countries.
For the record, the two countries have been maintaining cooperation in several sectors, including in infrastructure development and capacity building for Timor-Leste’s human resources.
A number of trainings have been jointly conducted by Ministry of Public Housing and Public Works of Indonesia and Timor-Leste Government, including training on rehabilitation and reconstruction of road construction, programs and budgeting, as well as training of operational technical personnel for bulldozer operators and heavy equipment.
Indonesia and Timor-Leste have the shared history and will continue to work closely for the progress of the two countries in the future.
Indonesia is an important partner for Timor-Leste’s development and since 2010 Indonesian construction companies, both state-owned and private, have taken part in a number of infrastructure projects in the country, including the construction of Raibere irrigation network, Soebada bridge, Tibar-Gleno road, Comoro Power plant, the Prime Minister’s Building, the Oecusse Airport and the ETO Tower. (BKP Ministry of PUPR/ES)
Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Ersan Pamungkas
