VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice Consul General of Japan in Medan, North Sumatra, Masamu Yamamori  visited RRI Medan on Monday. It was the first visit of Japanese government to RRI Medan since the Japanese Consulate General was formally established in Sumatra. The visit aimed to socialize events related to the 60th anniversary of Japan-Indonesia relations. Masamu Yamamori said that Japan-Indonesia cooperation in Sumatra was conducted by private or government parties in the fields of energy, education, and culture. In particular, Yamamori conveyed various events related to the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Japan-Indonesia relationship this year, which was conducted in Jakarta and Medan.

“In Jakarta we have conducted many events. We invited football team from Japan, FC Tokyo, to play a friendly match with Bhayangkara FC at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Stadium. Actually, on August 4 and 5 we will also conduct an event in Medan,” Yamamori said.

Masamu Yamamori further said that the event will be held for two days in Medan Club in August, enlivened with seminars, cultural event, and the visit of some guests from Japan. Meanwhile, Head of RRI Medan, Nawir hoped the Japanese Consulate General in Medan can cooperate with RRI for the common interests. The meeting between Vice Consul General and Head of RRI Medan was ended by exchanging souvenirs. (KBRN/DEWI/ trs/yati/AHM)

Nelson Mandela  International Day 2018 is commemorated in Indonesia. The Day also known as Mandela Day, was officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 to remember Nelson Mandela - the anti-apartheid activist from South Africa, as well as his spirit to make the world a better place. The United Nations Information Center (UNIC) Jakarta Acting Director Eshila Maravanyika in a special interview with Voice of Indonesia on Monday (16/7) said the Mandela Day 2018 commemoration in Indonesia will be held by holding a community visit to a girls' home named PSAA 3 in Tebet, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (18/7).

"Okay. So we join hands with the South African Embassy, and we are going to PSAA 3, which is the home I just talked about, the home for girls between the age of twelve to eighteen, and the girls go to school and where they stay togehter. And so, we say let's go and see the girl, and the something for the girls, give time to the girls, and to watch it what they are doing in their compound. And of course I mean, it's not something that you think big, but it's just the thought. It's the thought that we want to be able to put in people's mind: you can also help," Eshila said.

Eshila Maravanyika further said that the main purpose of the commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day is to encourage people of the world to create better change for the community. According to Eshila, UNIC Jakarta found such spirit in Indonesia during their visit last year to a gardening community in Jakarta, which is able to empower the community through their ideas and activities. (VOI/Steve/AHM)

Diplomacy is often regarded as a field dominated by men. The high mobility makes the diplomacy seem to be unproper field of women. However, the stigma is currently not fully applicable in the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Sincethe current recruitment of young diplomats, in the ministry 50 percents of the diplomats are dominated by women. Even young female diplomats often reach the best positions in the education. This was stated by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi recently.

"Regarding diplomacy and women, the issues have existed since 15 years ago. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, almost 50 percent of the new diplomats are women.We also educate fresh graduates from university to be diplomats. They havequite good ranking position. Mostly, seven from the top ten are women," Retno Marsudi said.

Furthermore, Minister Retno Marsudi also advised female diplomats to focus on making decisions, although the profession of a diplomat demand logical performance. According to the Minister, logic can be aligned with the heart while the diplomacy is not fully driven by logic. It takes the heart to get diplomacy since diplomacy is an art in conducting negotiation. (VOI/REZHA/Trs/Nada/AHM)

Indonesia and Japan have very close bilateral relationships. The relationships of the two countries have been established for more than six decades since Indonesia-Japan Peace Agreement on January 20, 1958.  Since that time, bilateral relations between the two countries have run well, including relationships of Japanase and Indonesian regional governments. One of the two countries’ relationships can be seen in a sister citycooperation between Yamanashi perfecture with Yogyakarta Special Region. To the press at Japanese Ambassador’s residence to Indonesia, Masafumi Ishii, in Jakarta on Monday (16/7), Governor of Yamanashi, Hitoshi Goto said he wanted the exchange relationships between Yamanashi perfecture and Indonesia can be increased in the future.

“Indonesia and Japan have very strong, very close relations. Besides that, I really love Indonesia. At least, I have visited Indonesia 30 times. I want the exchange of relations between Yamanashi and Indonesia can be increased,” Masafumi Ishii said.

Masafumi Ishiifurther explained that the partnership between Yamanashi and Indonesia, especially Yogyakarta,gives many benefits for the two countries, especially in tourism sector. In addition to the cooperation  of twin city with Yogyakarta, in tourism sector, Yamanashi  Perfecture has established cooperation with Garuda Indonesian airlines to increase connectivity between Yamanashi with other regions in Indonesia/. (VOI/REZHA/trs/yati/AHM)