JEDDAH, 11 August 2007 — A new Indonesian naval ship, which is at the Jeddah Islamic Port on a three-day goodwill visit, will head for Jakarta today. A reception was hosted on board the “Kri Diponegoro — 365” Sigma Class Corvette on Thursday night, while on its way from the Netherlands to Jakarta.
Present at the reception were Indonesia’s Ambassador Salim Segaf Al-Jufrie, Consul General Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, Col. Rukman Ahmad, defense attache in Riyadh, and other consuls and heads of Southeast Asian consulates, aside from local officials.
In his address to the 78-strong crew of the ship, Mansyur thanked the Saudi port authorities for allowing the ship to moor in Jeddah and enabling its crew perform Umrah.
The ambassador said he came from Riyadh to receive the ship and its crew, whose arrival here was possible due to the excellent bilateral relations. “This is the first of four new ships,” Mansyur said, adding that the second ship in the series will sail through the port in December.
Commander Arsyad Abdullah, captain of “Kri Diponegoro — 365” said the crew comprising 16 officers, 37 petty officers and 25 sailors had their training in the Netherlands where the ships were built. The ship will sail out today on its way to Jakarta via Djibouti and Goa, India.
