Deputy President of Indonesia Hopes for Sukarno Memorial Library in Uzbekistan

Jakarta –

Deputy President Ma’ruf Amin had expressed his hopes when meeting with Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov at the Uzbekistan Minister’s Cabinet Building, Tashkent. Ma’ruf asked that Uzbekistan built the Sukarno memorial library near the Tomb of Imam Bukhari.

Ma’ruf initially explained his reasons for asking for a Sukarno memorial library to be built in Uzbekistan. He said Sukarno was the originator of the construction of the tomb of Imam Bukhari which is now a place of pilgrimage for Muslims.

“Bung Karno was present in Uzbekistan and he was the one who pushed for the construction of the Imam Bukhari tomb which became a place of pilgrimage and was built luxuriously and is now being rebuilt,” Ma’ruf said after meeting the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Tuesday (13/6/2023).

It was on this basis that Ma’ruf asked that the Sukarno memorial library be built near the Tomb of Imam Bukhari. He hoped it could be done.

“That is Bung Karno’s service, and Bung Karno, we hope, I also said earlier, that a kind of Sukarno memorial library be built at the grave site, to commemorate Bung Karno’s services as the proposer for the construction, hopefully it can be implemented,” he said.

Furthermore, Ma’ruf said the building was a source of pride for Indonesia and Uzbekistan. According to him, this is a sign of the close relations between Indonesia and Uzbekistan which have existed for a long time.

“History and also pride for us, but also pride for them. And that builds a close relationship, it’s been 65 years, meaning that, the relationship has been built,” he said.

When asked about the process of building the Sukarno memorial library, Ma’ruf said that discussions had reached the level of the Tourism Ministers of the two countries.

“Yes, it has been discussed, we asked the Minister of Tourism. Only then have the ideas. I conveyed this to the PM and I hope it can be realized, we will continue it so that it is formed and that is important,” he said.

(maa/aik)