JAYAPURA – The Acting Governor of Papua, represented by the Acting Regional Secretary of Papua, Suzana Wanggai, received an honorary visit from the Finnish Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, Jukka-Pekka Kaihilah, in Jayapura. The meeting was also attended by the Chairperson of the Papua People’s Assembly, Deputy Chairperson of the Papua Regional House of Representatives, Assistant I of the Regional Secretary, and several leaders of related Regional Apparatus Organizations within the Papua Provincial Government. (June 19)

During the meeting, Ambassador Jukka-Pekka emphasized the Finnish Government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Indonesia, particularly in the telecommunications, forestry, and digitalization sectors, which are also priorities in Papua.

“Finland places great importance on environmental preservation and sustainability. Therefore, our cooperation focuses largely on sustainable forest management and digital transformation, with hopes that it will include Papua,” said Ambassador Jukka-Pekka.

The Ambassador also conveyed that Finland highly values approaches based on environmental concerns and indigenous communities, fully supporting various conservation programs involving local communities, one of which is the collaboration between WWF Finland and WWF Indonesia.

A representative from WWF Finland, Maya, added that they specifically support conservation approaches based on indigenous communities and open opportunities for collaboration between WWF Finland and WWF Indonesia to support nature and forest conservation efforts in Papua.

Acting Regional Secretary of Papua, Suzana Wanggai, expressed appreciation for the Finnish Government’s attention to Papua, especially regarding environmental preservation, digitalization, and approaches that respect the values and culture of Papuan indigenous peoples.

The meeting was relaxed and brief, accompanied by a Q&A session related to needs and technical matters that can later be jointly followed up between the Papua local government and Finland under applicable regulations. ***