Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian government has provided grants to three countries in the Asia-Pacific region, namely the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Fiji to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grants were confirmed by signing a grant agreement which was held in a hybrid way on Wednesday (Dec 16), according to a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by Indonesia Window here on Thursday.

At the event, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated that Indonesia and Pacific countries had also developed mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, including economy and development besides technical cooperation.

The grants given by Indonesia for handling the pandemic in those countries will be used to finance the procurement of medical devices produced by Indonesian manufacturers.

In addition to providing grants for the response to COVID-19 for Fiji, Indonesia also helped build the second phase of the Queen Victoria School in the country.

Earlier, Indonesia also provided assistance to renovate the first phase of the school in 2019, including to rebuild classrooms and student dormitories which were damaged by Hurricane Winston.

Indonesia will continue to strengthen partnerships with Pacific countries in order to create stability, resilience and sustainable development in the region.

Reporting by Indonesia Window