The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has acknowledged its continued support for trade cooperation improvement between Indonesia and Lebanon. Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Hajriyanto Y Thohari gave the Primaduta Award to Lebanese businessman and importer, George R Fattouh. The award was given for his service in helping market Indonesian products in Paris from the Middle East. The award was given at a ceremony at the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, Thursday (11/1) Fatough, is the owner of George R. Fattouh S.A.L, a business that has been importing Indonesian products since the 1980s. It has a range of products, including: palm oil and its derivatives, oil and fats (including cocoa butter substitute, fat spread, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and lauric confectionery fats), cardboard, stationary, and school equipment. Some Indonesian products are now even available at famous retail networks, such as Spinney’s and Carrefour. In 2022, the value imported by George R. Fattough S.A.L of Indonesian products, was 981.3 million USD. This was a 149.5 million USD increase when compared to 2021. Fattouh said Indonesian products are known for their quality and are in high demand in Lebanese markets. However, he said, the challenge now is increasing freight costs due to security challenges in the region.
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Listeners, a number of delicious dishes were served to the guests of Dhaup Ageng Pura Pakualaman Yogyakarta, at the wedding reception of the youngest son of K.G.P.A.A. Paku Alam X, namely B.P.H. Kusumo Kuntonugroho with Laily Annisa Kusumastuti which was held on January 10, 2024.Head of the Customs and Accommodation Division, Dhaup Ageng Pura Pakualaman, KRT Radyo Wisroyo said that the menu served to guests was quite varied. These menus are typical menus prepared by Pakualaman Pura, Indonesian menus and western food menus were also available. All invited guests including VIP and VVIP guests got the same menu. The first menu served to welcome guests, namely two types of welcome drink, namely lime lemongrass and ginger drink with lime. The welcome drink was given when guests sat down and watched the Bedhaya Sidamukti and Bedhaya Kakung Indrawidagda dance performances. Next, they gotsnacks for appetizer such as croquettes and other light snacks. There is a snack that is considered quite special and rare called Garulina. Garulina was the opening snack at the Pahargyan Dhaup Ageng Pakualaman lunch on the first day. Garulina has been around since the era before Indonesian independence. Garulina is actually not a typical Central Javanese food. It looks like the Lapis Legit layered cake, but there is something different, because there is a special layer like vla which is made from fresh milk, eggs and sugar. To get this sweet snack, Pakulaman Temple has to place a special order from the third generation of makers who have been pioneering since the 1950s. In Jogja, Garulina is very difficult to find and is considered rare because it is not sold every day.
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Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Gandi Sulistiyanto is ready to facilitate the acceleration of Indonesian start-ups to South Korea. The digital economic development of both countries is rapid, particularly the progress of start-ups. Therefore, the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul focuses on facilitating the acceleration of Indonesian start-ups to South Korea and otherwise. This was stated by Ambassador Gandi Silistyanto while visiting the KB Innovation Hub, a South Korean start-up incubator on Friday (11/2). He further conveyed that digital transformation is one of the three major themes brought up by the Indonesian Presidency at the G20 in 2022.
During his visit, Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto does hope that South Korean start-ups are able to find appropriate and equal Indonesian business partners. He appealed to Korean start-ups not to assume Indonesia only as a market, but jointly create progress that has a positive impact for the community, including job creation which provides higher income and support to rural areas with inadequate infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Chief Global Strategy Officer of KB Financial Group, Namhoon Cho explained that through the KB Innovation Hub, KB Financial Group also supports the creation of many talents in South Korea's digital industry. Namhoon Cho viewed how important Indonesia is, as the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Therefore, his side is interested in expanding its business to Indonesia. Since 2021, KB Financial Group has been recorded to have acquired Bank Bukopin.
Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mayerfas attended the opening of the Indonesian Independence Revolution Exhibition at Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands on Thursday, (10/2). The exhibition was officially opened by representatives of Indonesian and Dutch governments. Indonesia was represented by Minister for Education, Culture Research and Technology, Anwar Makarin who gave his remarks in a video. The Netherlands was represented by the State Secretary for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu.
The Indonesian Independence Revolution Exhibition was held from February 11 until June 5 2022. This exhibition showcased the historical moments from the Independence Proclamation on August 17 1945 until the return of President Soekarno to Indonesia on December 28 1949 when the Dutch handed over the power to Indonesia. These historical moments were showcased through 200 art collections and historical artifacts that represent the view of 20 history witnesses from the freedom fighters, artists, diplomats, politicians, and journalists.
According to the Minister, Anwar Makarin along with Dutch State Secretary for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu, the exhibition could give a new perspective in studying the two countries' history. Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim also said that the experiences of the historical actors need to be listened to and studied.
Meanwhile, Dutch State Secretary for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu said that the Netherlands and Indonesia shared a history that affected both nations. The revolution exhibition was expected to open the eyes and hearts of the two nation's people and make them closer. Similarly, Ambassador Mayerfas said that the exhibition could open the perspective of the two countries' people in understanding a historical period.
The collections showcased in the exhibition were among many the camera that recorded the Great Meeting at Ikada Square, private photo album of Rosihan Anwar, the sketch of Linggarjati Negotiation by Henk Ngantung, a painting by Sudarso of Tanja Dezentje -a former Dutch citizen who became Indonesian and fought for the nation in Indonesian independence diplomacy to the world.
The Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek promoted Indonesian spice products to a network of spice importers, culinary activists, supermarket and restaurant entrepreneurs in Namibia, Friday (11/2). The activity was themed "Indonesian Culinary Promotion".
Indonesian Ambassador to Namibia, Wisnu Edi Pratignyo in a written statement received Saturday (12/2) said that Indonesia wants to bring more local spices abroad and shows the world the richness of Indonesian spices and attract tourists to try the local dishes directly.
The Economic Function of the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek, Sulthon Sjahril said that Indonesia is the fourth largest spice exporting country in the world. He also said that Indonesia is also known as the second largest pepper producer in the world and the Indonesian spice industry is considered very profitable.
According to the Ministry of Trade, the exports of spices and herbs from Indonesia each year reach an average of US$500 million or equivalent to Rp 7.2 trillion.
In a supporting event for the "Indonesia Spice Up the World" program, the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek held a demonstration of cooking Indonesian specialties using instant spices.In addition, the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek also exhibited a number of Indonesian culinary products, including instant seasoning, spices, chili sauce, tomato sauce, sweet soy sauce, coconut milk, palm cooking oil, margarine, instant noodles, canned fish and instant coffee.This activity is expected to make it easier for Namibian importers to recognize Indonesian culinary export products and to interact directly with food exporters and producers in Indonesia virtually.
Fifty-two tons of Indonesian animal feed produced by Cooperative of Agro Niaga Jabung Syariah of East Java loaded in two containers was exported to Brunei Darussalam. The Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan in its statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday (9/2) stated that the Indonesian animal feed products were immediately delivered to the buyer in which the unloading of the container was witnessed by Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Sujatmiko.
The two containers of animal feed are for cattle, while a small portion is as a component of sheep feed. This is the 3rd shipment of animal feed by continuing the previous export which took place in 2021. Overall, Indonesia has sent six containers of the JABFeed branded cow feed. The opportunity for Indonesian animal feed exports to Brunei is still wide open. The Indonesian Embassy also stated that the animal feed consumption in Brunei in 2020 reached 158,579 metric tons in which 60 percent was obtained from imports.
Moreover, the Indonesian Embassy along with the development of Brunei's agricultural sector has new opportunities that can be filled with lots of superior products and services from Indonesia. Besides, there is land in Brunei that can be used to boost local production by exporting expertise and technology from Indonesia. The export opportunities to Brunei are still also open for supporting products, such as fertilizers, vitamins, agricultural machinery, and superior seeds. The Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan further stated that the Embassy is ready to facilitate the expansion of exports of Indonesian agricultural products and services to Brunei Darussalam. Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, over the past four years, Indonesia's exports to Brunei Darussalam have continuously increased.
Meanwhile, annual data also shows that Indonesia's exports to Brunei in 2021 grew 63.95 percent compared to 2020, with strengthening especially in energy commodities and consumer goods.
The printing press created by University of Indonesia students is designed to produce safe and practical documents. They adopted the way vending machines work in creating Printbox, which is a document printing tool that can be accessed independently. When data security is an important issue, Printbox becomes a necessity. Leakage of data, either due to theft or negligence of the data owner, is the cause of the emergence of criminal acts. This can happen, for example, because the data owner prints personal data, such as ID cards, family cards, and passbooks in public places. Alif Hikmah and three of his colleagues were inspired by this in realizing the Printbox machine.
Alif as the CEO of Inventing.id explained that the way Printbox works is very easy. This Printbox offers a friendly price for the average student size because the print rate is only Rp500–Rp1,000 per sheet. This tool also addresses student concerns regarding data security. According to Alif, documents uploaded on the server will be locked. So, no one can access them. Once printed, the document will be automatically deleted so that the document remains safe. This is done as an effort to protect user’s data to prevent data leakage and theft.
Printbox is a product of Inventing.id—a startup engaged in the development of high-tech office products in Indonesia. This startup is a program fostered by the Directorate of Innovation and Science Techno Park, University of Indonesia (DISTP UI) and is supported by the Menristekdikti under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Printbox also eliminates the need to deal with customer service when printing documents. In addition to saving the company's operational costs, technology-savvy millennial customers prefer a simple and independent transaction process.
The Cuban Camaguey Angklung Orchestra enlivened photo and batik exhibitions in the commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Cuba. The Indonesian Embassy in Havana in a written statement received in Jakarta, Tuesday (8/2) said the the commemoration of diplomatic relations was organized by the Indonesian Embassy Havana in collaboration with the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos at Friendship House in Havana, Cuba Monday (7/2).
The Camaguey Angklung orchestra performed six songs, namely the national anthem "Indonesia Raya", Cuban national anthem, "Halo-Halo Bandung", "Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke", "Rico Vacilon" and "Besame Mucho".
In her remarks, Indonesian Ambassador to Cuba, Nana Yuliana said that since the commencement of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Cuba on January 22, 1960, both countries have recorded a number of concrete corporations both bilaterally and multilaterally. In the political field, for example, Indonesia and Cuba have always supported each other, especially on candidacy in various international organizations. In the economic field, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the trade volume between the two countries also shows a positive trend. In 2021, the trade reached US$12.8 million or around Rp184.2 billion, an increase of 200 percent compared to the previous year. While in the social and cultural spheres, Indonesia is exploring vaccine cooperation and seeking to increase the number of Indonesian students studying medicine in Cuba.
On the same occasion, the President of the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, Fernando González Llort said that good relations between Indonesia and Cuba began during Che Guevara's visit to Indonesia in 1959 which was reciprocated by President Soekarno's visit to Havana in 1960. He also said that the good relationship between the two countries is also reflected in the sending of humanitarian missions. Cuba sent health workers to Indonesia during the Aceh tsunami disaster in 2004 and the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006.
The collaboration between PT PLN and PT PAL Indonesia has succeeded in building a modern Mobile Power Plant (MPP). The synergy of both companies has become a revolutionary milestone in the development of a mobile power plant in the form of a Barge Mounted Power Plant (BMPP). The first phase of the BMPP, which was developed by PLN through its subsidiary, PT Indonesia Power in synergy with PT PAL, is named ‘BMPP Nusantara 1’. The mobile power plant with a capacity of 60 MW has been completed and will soon be heading to Ambon, Maluku. President Director of PT PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo said that specifically in eastern Indonesia, the existence of the Barge Mounted Power Plant type is a solution to meet the electricity needs in the remote areas across Indonesia.
The BMPP Nusantara 1 uses the first dual-fuel diesel engine technology in Indonesia. Nusantara 1 can supply 60MW of electricity from the solar panels above it. As a floating power plant, BMPP is built using robust and proven design materials, and it has the flexibility to operate with different fuels, both diesel B30 and gas, without the need to turn off the generator. This is a solution to the availability of fuel in certain areas. With its compact dimensions and low water load for the size of a barge, the BMPP Nusantara 1 is claimed to be able to operate in shallow waters and remote areas as well as being mobile so that it can be an electrification solution in case of a natural disaster.
After the Barge Mounted Power Plant (BMPP) Nusantara 1 has been produced, it will be followed by two other BMPPs which have a larger accumulation of electrical power with a total capacity of 150 MW. Operations and maintenance are also fully carried out by PT Indonesia Power so that there is no longer dependence on electricity supply from outside parties. In the future, BMPP is expected to be able to meet the needs or replace floating power plants not only in Ambon or Maluku but also in several other regions across Indonesia.
The Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that the total trade value between Indonesia and Sweden throughout 2021 increased by 22 percent, compared to 2020, with the strengthening of the value of exports of Indonesia to Sweden by US $251.9 million or around Rp3.6 trillion or an increase of 31.6 percent. Indonesian Ambassador to Sweden, Kamparadipta Isnomo in a written statement to the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm on Friday (4/2) stated that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought its own challenges in fostering economic relations among countries, including Indonesia and Sweden.
Besides, Ambassador Kamapradipta also said that by 2021, the total trade value and the value of Indonesia's exports to Sweden were the highest in the Nordic region. The statement also noted that the increase in the value of Sweden's exports and investment to Indonesia cannot be separated from the bilateral economic relations that have been fostered by both countries. Throughout 2021, the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm reported that it is actively approaching many groups in Sweden both government and business sides and facilitating meetings between companies from both countries.
Based on data from the International Trade Center (ITC), Indonesia exported five major commodities to Sweden in 2021. These goods are animal or vegetable fats, knitted clothing items, vehicles other than tram carriages, footwear as well as non-woven clothing items. Along with the increase in Indonesia's exports to Sweden, the value of Sweden's inbound investment to Indonesia is also growing. Sweden's main investment in Indonesia is in the health sector, transportation,information technology, textiles, chemical products ,as well as packaged food and beverage products.
Moreover, Ambassador Kamapradipta hopes that in 2022, the Indonesian Embassy can realize a lot of collaborations that have been explored over the last two years, including in the energy, transportation and health sectors. Furthermore, the Indonesian Embassy will also encourage collaboration with Sweden in the success of Indonesia's G20 presidency, and the development of the new capital, Nusantara.
Indonesian Embassy in Canberra Supports Indonesian Language Education in Australia
The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, along with an Indonesian retail bookstore, provided teaching materials for Indonesian Language teachers in Australia. They made a digital Smart Library. In a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday (4/2), the cooperation signing was done by Indonesian Embassy Canberra Education and Culture Attache, Mukhamad Najib and Gramedia Marketing & Merchandising Director, Hadi Prayitno.
The smart library has books in Indonesian that can be used as a material by teachers and students. Mukhamad Najib said that the smart library has been available since 2021. However, the use was not optimal, because of limited books.
Najib further said that considering the enthusiasm of the teachers, the Indonesian Embassy is committed to increasing the number of books and titles so that they can be used by more learning levels of Indonesian language in Australia. He hoped the teachers could have more reading materials. As a result, the learning quality in class improves.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Consul General in Sydney, Vedi Kurnia Buana said that Australia has more Indonesian language learners outside Indonesia. He hoped that the Smart Library can enhance the Australian students' interest to learn the Indonesian language.
Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia, Iwan Bogananta at the end of last year collaborated with a culinary expert, William Wongso to introduce Indonesian culinary culture and richness through the 'Rendang Goes to Europe' program. Ambassador Iwan also succeeded in realizing an investment agreement with Bella Ltd, a leading company in Bulgaria to distribute Rendang to other regions in Europe with an investment worth US$ 3 million.
On February 3, 2022, Ambassador Iwan Bogananta visited Botevgrad, a city in western Bulgaria about 50 kilometers from the capital, Sofia. It is planned to build a Rendang factory area to approach market access, including Serbia, Turkey and Greece.
Ambassador Iwan also stated that this effort is a form of support for the 'Indonesia Spice Up The World' program, which was launched by President Joko Widodo. In his speech when launching the program some time ago, President Joko Widodo was determined to restore the glory of Indonesian spices, which has been so popular in the world since centuries ago. According to the President, the superiority of Indonesian spices must continue to be promoted throughout the world.
After the success of the Rendang, in the future, cooperation of other Indonesian potential products will be developed.