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.
View
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.
ViewThe Indonesian Embassy in Bern held again the "Remarkable Indonesia Fair" to promote Indonesian cultural products and arts in Pratteln, Switzerland on 24 until 25 July 2021. The embassy stated that the event was attended by thousands of visitors in Switzerland who wanted to enjoy summer bazaars, Indonesian culinary and products as well as performances of Indonesian traditional arts and dances. While starting the relaxation of social restrictions by the Swiss government in June, the event was held in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in Bern, the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, Verein Indonesia-Schweiz, and Sinar Indonesia GmbH. The "Remarkable Indonesia Fair" is a part of the promotion effort of trade, tourism and investment in Indonesia for people in Switzerland.
Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland, Muliaman Hadad along with Mayor of Pratteln, Stephan Burgunder opened the event officially. Ambassador Muliaman explained that the opportunity for promotion is now opened again after the government of Switzerland provided relaxation for community activities. The "Remarkable Indonesia Fair" was carried out by applying health protocols based on the government of Switzerland regulations. Since June 26, the Swiss government has begun to relax policies, including allowing events on a larger scale.
The "Remarkable Indonesia Fair" activity exhibited various Indonesian outlets/pavilions with food and beverage categories as well as non-food categories. At the event, visitors were able to enjoy Indonesian cuisine and coffee from various regions in Indonesia. They were also able to look at Indonesian traditional dance performances, such as the North Sumatra Tortor dance, Yogyakarta Golek classical dance, Balinese Pajegan mask dance, West Kalimantan Dayak dance, West Sumatra plate dance and Angklung musical instrument games. Furthermore, there was a video screening about Indonesian tourism and trade. Indonesia-Switzerland relations have been improving not only between governments but also among business people and people-to-people contacts. It is hoped that the two countries’ relations will continuously get better after all parties have ratified the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement among Indonesia and the countries of the European Free Trade Association (Indonesia-EFTA CEPA).
To welcome the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, Indonesian people in the United States crossed the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco City on July 24. As many as one hundred participants from several major cities in the U.S., such as Houston, Los Angeles and cities around San Francisco, such as Richmond, Palo Alto, West Covina, were enthusiastic in the joint cycling activity organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in San Francisco.
With the spirit of "Resilient Indonesia, Growing Indonesia" which is the theme of Indonesia's 76th Anniversary, the participants could choose the August 17 route, namely cycling for a distance of 17 miles (23 km) or Maju Tak Gentar route, which is cycling for 34 miles (50 km). They eagerly explored the uphill and challenging cities of San Francisco, Sausalito and Tiburon. The participants on the August 17 route crossed the Golden Gate bridge to the town of Mill Valey and returned by Sausalito ferry to San Francisco. Meanwhile, the participants of the Maju Tak Gentar route covered a distance of 34 miles with a bicycle path that crossed the hills up and down with strong wind gusts along the bay.
The activity was held in collaboration with the Gowes Indo-SF and Gowes Indo-US and Gowes Merdeka communities. This event is the first major bicycle sport event in the U.S. which was held for the Indonesian people in commemoration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. The Indonesian Consul General in San Francisco, Simon D.I Soekarno expressed his appreciation for the enthusiasm of the Indonesian riding community in the U.S., which reflects the cohesiveness of the Indonesian people in the country.
In addition to welcoming the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, this event was also carried out to strengthen the sense of unity and integrity among the Indonesian people. Simon D.I. Soekarno also invited the community and the Indonesian Diasporas to jointly carry out activities that could promote Indonesia in the United States.
In addition, as a form of concern for the situation in Indonesia, the participants were also invited to lend a hand to help deal with Covid-19 in Indonesia through a fundraising activity by the Gowes community which was held on July 25, 2021. During the activity, even though the pandemic situation in the United States had improved, the participants were still asked to apply health protocols, namely wearing masks and keeping a distance.
All health facilities are still used to well treat Covid-19 patients. Based on https://covid19.go.id/-19, the number of patients with confirmed cases of Covid-19 reached 2,527,203 per July 11, 2021. The availability of tools, such as a ventilator breathing, becomes very important in helping to handle the number of critical patients of Covid-19 increasing in every health facility. Therefore, researchers from the Research Center for Electronics and Telecommunications, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Eko Joni Pristianto and his teamare developing a ventilator named ‘SIVENESIA’ (Smart Innovative Ventilator Indonesia) with two operating modes CPAP and BiPAP.CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mode is a ventilator that produces a level of positive air pressure that is constant and continuously given to the patients with the aim of keeping the patients’ respiratory tract open. While the BiPAP (Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure) mode is a ventilator that can produce two different levels of positive air pressure, namely when inhaling (inspiration) and when exhaling (expiration), making it more comfortable for patients to use because it will follow breathing rhythm while maintaining the required end-expiratory pressure or PEEP (Positive end-expiratory pressure).
Researcher Eko Joni explained that the CPAP and BiPAP ventilators are usually recommended by doctors for patients with sleep apnea (serious sleep disorders), which is a symptom where the patients’ respiratory system stops for a while during sleep. This, of course, will result in a bad quality of sleep of the patient. The CPAP or BiPAP ventilator mode is a pressure-based ventilator mode, which aims to prevent airway obstruction, such as the symptoms experienced by many COVID-19 sufferers, and to train the respiratory muscles before the patient can breathe normally. According to Eko, CPAP and BiPAP are classified as the most effective non-invasive treatment systems (without surgery) and are the first and most widely used options for patients with respiratory problems.
Eko also explained that the purpose of using this ventilator is to keep the patients’ respiratory tract open, while the basic difference between the CPAP and BiPAP modes is comfort when the patients breathe. In CPAP mode, the ventilator will work by providing a continuous (constant) flow of positive pressure air through the tube to the nose or through the mouth; this can cause fatigue (un-comfortability) for the patients, especially during the exhalation process, the patients must use more force to resist the pressure. This problem will be very disturbing, especially for certain patients who have neuromuscular disease (an extensive group of disorders characterized by motor changes produced by injury or nerve disorders). Meanwhile, for BiPAP mode, this type of ventilator will provide different pressures when the patients breathe (inspiration) and when the patients exhale (expiration) so that they will be more comfortable in breathing while maintaining the required Positive end-expiratory pressure. Because this ventilator is a medical device that functions as a breathing tool, the use of this ventilator mode must be with the advice, instruction and supervision of a doctor.
SIVENESIA has gone through the testing phase. Next, Eko Joni Pristianto and his team will conduct a SIVENESIA clinical trial as the further step to obtain a distribution permit as a form of dissemination of their research results.
On Thursday 22 July, Lviv City Hall, Ukraine looked different than usual. In the courtyard of the Lviv City Hall, the anthem Indonesia Raya was heard echoing, while Indonesian Ambassador to Kyiv, Prof. Yuddy Chrisnandi raised the Red-and-White flag on one of the main poles in the presence of the Lviv City Government Leaders. The raising of the flag at the Lviv City Hall was a part of a series of events attended by Ambassador Yuddy during his visit to Lviv City in opening of the Indonesian Honorary Consul Office in Lviv. On the morning of the same date, Ambassador Yuddy Chrisnandi accompanied by the staff of the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv and the Indonesian Honorary Consul in Lviv Andriy Ionov, held a special meeting with high-ranking officials of the Lviv Provincial Government, consisting of Governor Maksym Kozytskyy, Chair of the Lviv DPRD Foreign Cooperation Commission, Natalia Haletskaya, and heads of the Lviv Provincial Government Service. At the meeting with the Lviv Provincial Government, both sides discussed various areas of cooperation that could be developed.
The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon is optimistic about establishing cooperation with Lebanon despite the country is experiencing worst economic crisis. Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon, Hajriyanto Y. Thohari said on Friday (23/7) that despite the current situation and condition of Lebanon, the improvement of relations between the two countries continues. According to Ambassador Hajriyanto, Lebanon is a country that has a lot of potential. Thus, opportunities for cooperation between Indonesia and Lebanon are still wide open in many fields, such as in the political, economic, and socio-cultural fields. Ambassador Hajriyanto also explained that the most prominent relationship between the two countries is in the socio-cultural field. There has been collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut and universities, such as with Lebanese University to establish an Indonesian Corner at Lebanese University to promote Indonesia. Indonesia and Lebanon are also building cooperation between religious institutions. Both of them also establish cooperation between communities, such as provision of social assistance for Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon by NGOs from Indonesia.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi inaugurated At Takwa Mosque, the first Nahdlatul Ulama’s (NU) mosque in Koga City, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. It also coincided with Eid al-Adha holiday 1442 H on Tuesday (20/7). The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo on Wednesday (21/7) stated that the inauguration of the mosque was a series of the inauguration of the Indonesian Community Learning Activity Center (PKBM) in Japan. On the occasion, Ambassador Heri was accompanied by the Education Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Yusli Wardiatno and Chairperson of the Special Branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PCINU) Japan, Miftahul Huda.
Ambassador Heri in his speech explained that the mosque is expected to further strengthen the unity of Indonesian citizens in Japan.
On the same occasion, Ambassador Heri also inaugurated the Indonesian Community Learning Activity Center (PKBM) at the At Takwa Mosque. He further said that apart from being used as a worship place, the At Takwa mosque can also be used for PKBM study rooms. This learning centre is a service activity for primary and secondary education and other courses can be adapted to the needs of the community.The participants of PKBM will receive three main subjects, namely religious and moral education, Pancasila, citizenship education, and Indonesian language. They can also participate in the Kejar Program Packages A, B, and C.
The National Gallery of Indonesia at the Directorate General of Culture,Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology presents a special virtual tour for children. This virtual tour using 360° video technology and green screen will be held to coincide with the commemoration of National Children's Day, Friday, July 23, 2021. This activity is in collaboration with theAsianparent (tAp) Indonesia, which is a part of the parenting site No. 1 in Southeast Asia.
Guided by the National Gallery team, the children who take part in the virtual tour will get to know the works and figures of art. The exhibition is divided into three parts or sessions. First one is the MEMORY MONUMENT, featuring works from the National Gallery collection based on national historical developments. Second one is PARIS 1959 JAKARTA 1995, featuring works from international collections originating from two important events: grants from world artists based in Paris in 1959 and grants from artists participating in the 1995 Non-Aligned Movement Exhibition in Jakarta and the third one is that KODE /D is a thematic exhibition that regularly exhibits a number of collections from the National Gallery of Fine Arts in the period 1999-2019.
Especially for this virtual tour and the participants are children, the works chosen to be presented in the virtual tour are works with objects that are close to children, such as mother figures, brothers/sisters, plants, animals, markets, ships, geometric shapes, or color. These objects are in the works of the painters Raden Saleh “Kapal Tenggelam”, Basoeki Abdullah “Kakak dan Adik”, Affandi “Ibu”, Kartono Yudhokusumo “Anggrek”, Suromo DS “Pasar”, Popo Iskandar “Kucing”, Handrio “Komposisi” , and the works of other important figures who contributed to the development of Indonesian art. This virtual tour enlivens not only the 2021 National Children's Day celebration with the theme "Protected Children, Advanced Indonesia", but also a medium for art education for children.
ITB team has succeeded in making the qPCR type of Corona Virus Detection Machine
The number of PCR machines in Indonesia is still limited. During the current surge in Covid-19 cases, the queue for examining patient samples has become long and it takes a long time. In addition, there is no domestic production of PCR machines so far. Seeing this condition, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) lecturer team took the initiative to make a machine to detect the coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) that causes Covid-19. The tool used for testing samples of the corona virus is called ‘qPCR’ or quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The machine which is classified as a prototype of the first model has been made as many as four units. The ITB lecturers involved in the qPCR machine research are Anggraini Barlian and Karlia Meitha from the School of Biological Science and Technology, and Adi Indrayanto and Muhammad Iqbal Arsyad from the School of Electrical and Informatics Engineering.
This qPCR machine made by ITB runs two important processes simultaneously. While processing the duplication of RNA (ribonucleic acid) stored in 16 sample tubes using the Thermal Cycling technique, the machine simultaneously detects viral RNA by electrophoresis technique. The detection is done by observing the intensity of the glow of a special compound called a fluorophore. The compound is bound to viral RNA. The more viral RNA that is successfully duplicated, the more specific compounds are bound. This special compound will glow if given light with a certain color. From the four types of compounds, the team only used one type of fluorophore, namely SYBR Green. The team plans to continue to develop the capabilities of the machine by using more than one type of fluorophore at the same time to increase the accuracy of virus detection.
The government provides research and development funds for qPCR machines amounting to Rp 1 billion. Although the machine is now complete and has been tested several times in the laboratory, the team still needs to carry out additional testing and refinement of the software system. The goal is to pass the testing by the authorized institution. It is hoped that this machine will be used sooner.
A panel of judges at the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday (13/7) acquitted 2 Indonesian citizens with the initials A and I on charges of smuggling methamphetamine into Japan in 2019. Previously at the trial in the first instance, A and I were found guilty and sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of 2 million Yen each.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (19/7), welcomed the verdict of the Tokyo High Court which had released both Indonesian citizens. He also appreciated the hard work of the Indonesian Citizen Protection Team of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo along with a team of lawyers who for 2 years provided legal assistance for both of them.
Ambassador Heri Akhmadi further stated that the protection of Indonesian citizens in Japan will continue to be an important priority for his mission in Japan. He also emphasized that A and I have gone through a legal process in Japan, considering that all Indonesian citizens while abroad are required to comply with local laws. In the future, according to Ambassador Heri, cases A and I can be a lesson not to easily trust people who are not known and want to leave their goods abroad.
Both Indonesian citizens were repatriated to Indonesia on Saturday (17/7). Before returning to Indonesia, they stayed at the Indonesian Embassy Protection shelter in Tokyo. They were even facilitated to take a walk in downtown Tokyo and buy souvenirs for their family. Both of them expressed their gratitude for the support and assistance of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, since being arrested by the Japanese police and spending days in prisons in Chiba and Tokyo, until the trial process. Facilitated by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, A and I always receive news and encouragement from their families in Indonesia.
A panel of judges at the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday (13/7) acquitted 2 Indonesian citizens with the initials A and I on charges of smuggling methamphetamine into Japan in 2019. Previously at the trial in the first instance, A and I were found guilty and sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of 2 million Yen each.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (19/7), welcomed the verdict of the Tokyo High Court which had released both Indonesian citizens. He also appreciated the hard work of the Indonesian Citizen Protection Team of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo along with a team of lawyers who for 2 years provided legal assistance for both of them.
Ambassador Heri Akhmadi further stated that the protection of Indonesian citizens in Japan will continue to be an important priority for his mission in Japan. He also emphasized that A and I have gone through a legal process in Japan, considering that all Indonesian citizens while abroad are required to comply with local laws. In the future, according to Ambassador Heri, cases A and I can be a lesson not to easily trust people who are not known and want to leave their goods abroad.
Both Indonesian citizens were repatriated to Indonesia on Saturday (17/7). Before returning to Indonesia, they stayed at the Indonesian Embassy Protection shelter in Tokyo. They were even facilitated to take a walk in downtown Tokyo and buy souvenirs for their family. Both of them expressed their gratitude for the support and assistance of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, since being arrested by the Japanese police and spending days in prisons in Chiba and Tokyo, until the trial process. Facilitated by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, A and I always receive news and encouragement from their families in Indonesia.
Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Sujatmiko appealed for Indonesian migrant workers who are in Brunei Darussalam to obey the laws and regulations applied by the local government. When opening a dialogue with the theme "Rules of Immigration, Employment and Human Trafficking in Brunei Darussalam" at the Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sunday (18/7), Ambassador Sujatmiko stated that it’s necessary for Indonesian people, particularly Indonesian migrant workers, to understand and obey legal provisions in Brunei Darussalam. This reflects the success in working in the country.
Furthermore, Ambassador Sujatmiko also explained that the Indonesian Embassy will always remind Indonesian citizens in Brunei Darussalam to continuously obey the laws and regulations. He also shared the same dialogue when he met Indonesian citizens in Temburong and Tutong districts. The dialogue was also attended by hundreds of Indonesian people in Brunei Darussalam; most of them are migrant workers who are working in various sectors, such as seafarers, architects, consultants, chefs and home assistants.
The interest of Indonesian Embassy in providing information and socialization of protection for Indonesian citizens and Indonesian migrant workers is related to the various problems they face, such as cases of detention of workers whose contracts have expired, changing employers, and unpaid salaries.
The meeting of Ambassador Sujatmiko with Indonesian citizens and Indonesian migrant workers is a routine activity to help and accommodate them in Brunei Darussalam.