Jakarta, Feb. 2 -- State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government will open dialogue with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) following the council's request for Indonesia to withdraw from the US-backed Board of Peace (BoP).

"We will later hold dialogue with MUI," Prasetyo said on the sidelines of a coordination meeting between the central and regional governments in Bogor, West Java, on Monday.

He said the government respects MUI's views and considers dialogue an important avenue to explain Indonesia's decision to join the international council.

"We will explain why we decided to join the Board of Peace," Prasetyo said.

Prasetyo said Indonesia's participation in the BoP is part of its diplomatic strategy to build communica...