Jakarta, July 9 -- Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has affirmed his readiness to lead the central government's efforts to accelerate regional development in Papua.

"As an aide to Mr. President, I am ready to be assigned anywhere, anytime, and this is the continuation of 13th Vice President Ma'ruf Amin's hard work in Papua," he said on the sidelines of his visit to Mleset village in Klaten district, Central Java, on Wednesday.

He said that his assignment to spearhead the government's endeavors to expedite development in Papua is a continuation of the work done by his predecessor.

He added that Papua's issues are not new to him, since the Vice Presidential Secretariat has carried out several programs in the easternmost region of In...