East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Ambassador Salem Balfakeeh Discuss Hadramout Twinning Initiative

His Excellency Ambassador Salem Ahmed Balfakeeh met on Monday, 18 May 2026, with Ms Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Governor of East Java, at the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya. The meeting took place as part of his visit to the province to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities for cooperation in education, trade, culture and investment, as well as several proposed initiatives. Foremost among them was a twinning initiative between East Java Province and Hadramout Governorate, reflecting the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the two regions. The two sides also discussed organising joint cultural and artistic events and strengthening cooperation in the education sector. The Governor of East Java affirmed the depth of the historical and cultural ties between Yemen and Indonesia, noting the positive growth in trade relations between the two sides in recent years. For his part, Ambassador Salem Ahmed Balfakeeh expressed his appreciation to the Government of East Java for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him. He also emphasised the importance of strengthening the historical relations between the two countries and expanding cooperation in a manner that serves the interests of their two friendly peoples.