On the invitation of President of Indonesia Susilo Bombang Yudhoyono Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar will attend the First Tsunami Commemoration Ceremony on December 26 in Banda Aceh as special envoy of President Musharraf. Aceh has one of the worst affected areas in Indonesia by tsunami, where about 120,000 people had died and 93,000 are still listed as missing.
Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar who had last year delivered the relief assistance on behalf of the government of Pakistan would attend the First Tsunami Commemoration Ceremony, as special envoy of the President.
The commemoration gives a good opportunity to see the progress in Aceh's reconstruction efforts. Tsunami had demolished Aceh and the communities there have slowly recovered.
Indonesia is a brotherly country and despite Pakistan's own involvement with the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the October 8 earthquake, the minister of state will attend the commemoration as special envoy of the President.