Jakarta - The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susansto, along with Deputy Minister Ahmad Riza Patria, met with the Chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), Sultan Baktiar Najamudin, at Nusantara III Building, Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (January 23, 2026).

The meeting discussed the follow-up to the National Green Villages Competition, which the DPD Chairman announced during his attendance at National Village Day 2026.

DPD Chairman Sultan Baktiar stated that the institution he leads champions Green Democracy.

This theme was then implemented in the Green Parliament, aiming for the DPD to become a more inclusive and collaborative institution.

Seeing the momentum, the DPD Chairman proposed the creation of Green Villages, in keeping with the DPD's nomenclature, showcasing villages that maintain ecology and ecosystems, including environmental issues such as climate change.

"We are collaborating with the Ministry of Villages because it is a leading sector related to villages," said the DPD Chairman.

Mendes Yandri welcomed the Green Villages initiative initiated by the DPD Chairman.

"This collaboration is very beneficial for the villages and addresses a number of challenges," said Village Minister Yandri.

The Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Kemendes PDT) will immediately follow up by writing to village heads.

The Ministry will also detail this by creating technical guidelines for implementation in the field.

The Ministry also has similar programs: Thematic Villages, Tourism Villages, and Export Villages.

"The overall package of this program is Green Villages," said Minister Yandri.

Minister Yandri also raised another issue, namely Villages in Forest Areas, as a follow-up to the inaugural meeting with the Special Committee for Agrarian Reform formed by the House of Representatives (DPR).

"There are thousands of villages in forest areas, and some are even 100 percent within forest areas," said Minister Yandri.

This has caused many problems, so concrete solutions need to be found by requesting support from the Regional Representative Council (DPD).

"So that villages in forest areas can develop, without criminalization and so on. The state must be present so that village residents can have peace of mind," said Minister Yandri.

The DPD Speaker was accompanied by the Chair of Committee II Badikenita Beru Sitepu, the Chair of Committee III Filep Wamafma, the Chair of Committee IV Ahmad Nawardi, and the DPD Secretary General Mohammad Iqbal.

Also accompanying Minister Yandri were Secretary General Taufik Madjid, Director General of PEID Tabrani, Director General of PPDT Samsul Widodo, Director General of PDP Nugroho Setijo Nagoro, Head of BPSDM Agustomi Masik, Special Staff M Khoirul Huda, and Expert Staff to the Minister Sugito and Bito Wikantosa.

Photo: Wening/Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration
Text: Firman/Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration