US Ambassadors Visits West Java's Cirebon

Jakarta (Antara) - US Ambassador Scot Marciel traveled to the historic West Java port city of Cirebon for a day of cultural exchange and outreach on Monday, according to the US Embassy here on Tuesday. The ambassador's travel to the West Java's city of Cirebon also included a visit to a hospital supported through the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) maternal and child health program. Scot Marciel met with Cirebon's newly installed mayor, Ano Sustrisno, Cirebon Sultan Sepuh XIV. The Sultan escorted the Ambassador to the tomb of the Sunan Gunung Jati, one of the "Nine Guardians," responsible for spreading Islam in Java. He spoke with students at Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) about studying English and opportunities for further education in the United States, as well as about Islam in America. Ambassador Marciel also visited Waled Hospital outside of Cirebon, which is currently being refurbished to become a provincial referral center for USAID¿s $55 million Expanding Maternal and Newborn Survival (EMAS) program. The hospital staff local leaders discussed the improvements in the quality of care for mothers and newborns with the assistance from USAID. (*)