TNI, Polri ready 9.030 personel to secure Pope Francis visit

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) have readied 9,030 joint personnel to secure the visit of Pope Francis in Jakarta on September 3-6, 2024.

After leading a briefing for the joint personnel at the TNI Headquarters, Jakarta, on Monday, Commander of the Joint Regional Defense Command I TNI Vice Admiral Agus Hariadi stated that of the total number of personnel, some 4,300 are TNI personnel.

Meanwhile, 4,730 police officers are part of the joint personnel.

According to Hariadi, the Presidential Guard Force (Paspampres) of TNI will be deployed to the First Ring area, namely the location of the Pope.

"For the others, ministerial or executive levels, they will be in the Second Ring and Third Ring," he remarked.

On that occasion, he added that the joint personnel are also deployed to secure the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (ISF) 2024 that will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, on September 56.

"There are standards for the military equipment and the personnel that are deployed," he affirmed.

The vice admiral explained that the TNI and Polri have held a security coordination meeting.

"All the stakeholders that are responsible for the security have been tasked and arranged in one schedule of events, a rigid rundown. It has been discussed together," he revealed.

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday, September 3.

He is scheduled to visit the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday, September 4, and will be welcomed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) there.

The Pope will then meet with the congregation at the Jakarta Cathedral.

On Thursday, September 5, he is scheduled to visit Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, and at 5 p.m. local time, he will lead a large-scale mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta.

Lastly, on Friday, September 6, the Pope will depart from Jakarta to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.