Jakarta. The world football governing body FIFA has agreed to participate in collaborative measures with the Indonesian government to develop safety policies following the October 1 deadly crush at Kanjuruhan Stadium in the town of Malang that killed at least 131 people.

The promise was made during FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s meetings with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the country’s sports authorities in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"This is a football country, a country where football is a passion for over 150 million people. We owe it to them that when they see a match they are safe and secure,” Infantino was quoted as saying on the FIFA official website.

“FIFA is here for the Indonesian people – FIFA will stay and work here to transform Indonesian football.”

During his Jakarta trip, Infantino also met with Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, and Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Chairman Mochamad Iriawan.

His visit aimed to set up plans for a collaborative re-evaluation program and the formation of a taskforce focused on developing safety policies and procedures at football stadiums across the country.

He and Indonesian authorities also discussed the next steps in “implementing comprehensive measures around safety and security practices, police protocols, fan engagement, match scheduling, mentorship and global best practices for the training of match-day security staff”.

Most football stadiums in the country are owned and operated by the local governments and only a few are managed by the central government. 

President Jokowi told Infantino that Kanjuruhan Stadium will be demolished and rebuilt to FIFA standards.

After the closed-door meeting, the president said FIFA will have an office in Indonesia to ensure a long-term collaboration.

“We will build [the office] as soon as possible. It appears to me that FIFA will stay here for a long time,” Jokowi told reporters.

“FIFA President Gianni Infantino just told me that FIFA is planning for a huge investment in safety measures of stadiums and football fans as well as in football academies here in Indonesia, and we are thankful for that,” Jokowi said.

Indonesian authorities have established a special task force on football transformation under the supervision of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation following the Kanjuruhan tragedy. 

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