Jakarta, Oct. 16 -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has approved accepting assistance from neighboring countries to help fight forest and land fires, Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is finalizing operational and technical procedures for receiving the assistance, Nasir said.

"It has been discussed and is being processed. As we know, the president has already given his approval," Nasir said after a meeting at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said President Prabowo was closely monitoring the fires because they had severely affected several Indonesian provinces and the wider Southeast Asian region.

Before seeking regional support, Indonesia had mobilized subs...