Lebanese mission to Indonesia starts its work, meets with concerned officials

The Lebanese official mission tasked to secure the return of the Lebanese survivors and the transfer of the bodies of the victims of the Indonesian ferry, began its work soon as it arrived this afternoon in Jakarta. The bodies of the victims of the Indonesian ferry will be transferred to Beirut after identifying corpses through DNA tests. Shortly upon arrival at Jakarta airport, the delegation moved to the Indonesian Social Affairs Ministry, where it held a joint work meeting with Minister, Salim Jafri, on standing issues related to the Lebanese in Indonesia. The Lebanese mission is comprised of Minister Ahmad Karami (chairmanship) and Head of the Lebanese Relief Body, Brigadier General Ibrahim Bashir (membership.) Lebanese Chargé d'affaires in Jakarta Joanna Azzi was also present amongst the delegation. Minister Karami hailed Indonesia, government and state, for all its efforts to facilitate the transfer of the Lebanese victims who drowned in the Indonesian ferry, and reslove the legal problems of those who are arrested. Karami also hailed the deeply-entrenched Lebanese-Indonesian relations. For the same purpose, the delegation visited Indonesian Sovereign Minister, Agonb Lascona, in his capacity as coordinator for the work of eight ministries in Indonesia, namely the Ministries of Education, Health, Religious Affairs, Youth and Sports, Women Rights, Child Protection, Environment, and Popular Housing. During the meeting, they discussed means of bolstering cooperation. Azzi, for her part, told media representatives that 42 bodies (18 men, five males, 14 women, and six females) have been recovered, upon whom DNA tests are being undertaken, to be matched with the DNA tests results undertaken on victims' families.