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.
ViewTo increase the promotion of Indonesian culture, especially in the culinary field, the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, the Philippines in collaboration with Colegio San Antonio-Bacolod City, held 'Culinary Tourism: Modern Indonesian Cuisine'. This event was broadcast live on Wednesday (28/4). Indonesian Chef, Untung Taurat demonstrated how to cook chicken Opor and fried banana. This activity was attended by students majoring in tourism and hospitality management from Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod City virtually, through the Youtube channel of the Indonesian Embassy in Manila. Acting Dean of the Faculty of Accounting, Business, Education and Computers Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod City, Airyn Apale appreciated this activity. According to Airyn, live cooking is very beneficial for students considering that culinary tourism is an important aspect of tourism education and Hospitality Management, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In commemoration of the International Creative Economy year, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo signed a Creative Economy Cooperation Agreement with a Japanese creative economy company, Creek and River Co., Ltd. The signing of the Indonesia-Japan cooperation agreement was carried out on the side-lines of the Japan-Indonesia Virtual Conference on Creative Economy in Japan, last Wednesday (28/4). At the same time, this event enlivened the International Creative Economy Year for Sustainable Development which was initiated by Indonesia and ratified by the United Nations through resolution No. 74/198. Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi explained that this agreement would become an umbrella for more intensive partnership and collaboration between Japan and Indonesia. According to Heri Akhmadi, this initiative effort is one of the concrete efforts of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo to contribute to accelerating national and global economic recovery amid the pandemic.
Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Y.M. Sudirman Haseng held a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Minister of Health, Y.M. Prof. Mam Bunheng at the Cambodian Ministry of Health Monday (26/4). The main focus of discussion was to strengthen cooperation in the health sector.
Ambassador Sudirman Haseng explained that Cambodia is a country which heartedly provides a free vaccine program for the embassy and it is planned for foreigners who are in Cambodia, including Indonesian citizens. He also expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian Government, particularly to medical personnel, who have worked selflessly in tackling the Covid-19 Pandemic in Cambodia, including also in providing the best care for some Indonesians affected by Covid-19.
On the occasion, Ambassador Sudirman also introduced and handed over Indonesian pharmaceutical products and packaged food as a form of solidarity, attention and appreciation of the Indonesian Embassy to the Cambodian Government. The pharmaceutical products provided are in the form of immune-enhancing supplements and cold and cough medicines. The cooperation in the health sector is one of the topics for the discussion in the bilateral meeting between Indonesian President, Joko Widodo and Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit which was held in Jakarta on April 24, 2021. Besides emphasizing the importance of joint vaccines, at the meeting, President Joko Widodo also invited Cambodia to strengthen cooperation in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical equipment.
Lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Bayu Dwi Apri Nugroho along with the RiTx Bertani startup team won an award at the Hannover Messe Germany event. They made an achievement as the first winner in the Startup category at the 2020 Hermes Award at the event. The Hannover Messe is the world's largest industrial and technology fair. The Hermes Award is a competition that is open to all exhibitors at the Hannover Messe. Besides being able to help increase farmer productivity, this startup, which has the concept of Smart Farming, is also expected to make changes in farming behaviour in Indonesia, based on structured data.
The presence of RiTx Bertani originated from the results of Bayu's research while studying S3. At that time, he found a decline in the productivity of the agricultural sector by 20 percent in the 1980-2010 period. This is due to the lack of access to information for farmers on climate and weather uncertainty. Meanwhile, the prediction made by BMKG only reaches the district or city level, which according to Bayu is not quite accurate as a reference for agriculture considering that within 2 kilometres, the weather can be different. RiTx is equipped with a sensor that can take real-time data on agricultural and plantation land. The data obtained is in the form of weather, temperature, humidity, wind strength, soil pH and fertility.
The data is translated by algorithm into accurate information for farmers, that can be accessed through the application in the form of time information to add water and fertilizer to the current weather information. In addition, RiTx Bertani also provides pest identification features using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and educational features starting from the planting process to end-to-market (the process of selling agricultural products). According to Bayu, currently his startup can be used for 38 types of food and horticultural commodities and only takes 1 hour to install sensors in the field. Moreover, RiTx Bertani has been implemented in 22 regencies in Indonesia in collaboration with ministries and institutions, such as Bappenas, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Ministry of Health, Bank Indonesia, BNI, and several private industries. The target is that by 2021, RiTx Bertani can be applied in 76 regencies in Indonesia.
Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand, Rachmat Budiman handed over a letter of credential from President Joko Widodo to the King of Thailand, His Excellency Raja Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua at Ambara Villa, Dusit Palace, Bangkok through a Royal Audience procession on Tuesday afternoon (20/04). On this occasion, King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.
The series of Royal Audience events began with the reception of the Indonesian Ambassador at the Indonesian Embassy by the Senior Official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Sumate Chulajasa. The submission of the credentials at the King's Palace took place in a warm and solemn atmosphere by implementing health protocols. On this occasion, Ambassador Rachmat Budiman had conveyed warm greetings from President Joko Widodo and hopes for glory, safety and health for the King and his family and people of Thailand. He is also committed to increasing bilateral cooperation in the economic sector, particularly in the fields of trade and investment; maintaining regional peace and stability; ensuring mutual support in various regional and global forums; as well as in research and development of public health policies, including the Covid-19 vaccine.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra welcomed Ambassador Rachmat Budiman to fully support the implementation of the duties of the Indonesian Ambassador in enhancing bilateral cooperation which is expected to make a significant contribution to the people of both countries. The Royal Audience event was attended by 6 foreign Ambassadors in Thailand with the implementation of strict health protocols, including the implementation of the PCR test. In addition, the submission of Credentials was also carried out by the Egyptian Ambassador, the Philippine Ambassador, the French Ambassador, the Bangladeshi Ambassador and Ambassador of Portugal. Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Thailand officially began in 1950, although historically they have existed since the days of the Srivijaya kingdom. Then, on February 23, 1952, the Indonesian Government officially appointed the Indonesian Ambassador for the first time.
In 2020, in spite of amid Covid-19 pandemic, both countries have succeeded in commemorating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with various activities by involving the community, such as logo competitions, seminars, product exhibitions, and cultural arts performances. The 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations reflects the strong friendship and cooperation in the future, and it is believed that Indonesian-Thai relations will further develop, increase and provide real benefits for the people of both countries, in the region and in the world.
Indonesian Ambassador to Panama, Sukmo Harsono handed over Credential Letter to President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen at the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Las Garzas), Panama City on Friday (16/4 ). The event took place solemnly and applied strict health protocols. President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen expressed his welcome remark to Ambassador Sukmo Harsono in Panama. His government will cooperate with Indonesia, not only in bilateral relations, but also in international forums. He also expressed his hope that Indonesia would make Panama an economic gateway in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Sukmo Harsono conveyed the warm greetings from President Joko Widodo and Indonesian people to President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and the people of Panama. Ambassador Sukmo welcomed the hopes of President Laurentino and he will propose to Indonesian Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi to open a warehouse in the Colon Free Trade Zone as a space for promoting Indonesian products. Moreover, Ambassador Sukmo also expressed his hope that the government of Panama can remove Indonesia from the list of prohibited countries of Panama in granting visas to improve people-to-people contacts.
Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Panama have been going on since 1979 through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding done by both countries in New York, USA and this was followed up by the opening of the Panama Embassy in Jakarta in 1999 and the opening of the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City in 2010. Previously, Panama was concurrently held by the Indonesian Embassy in Mexico City.
The Indonesian state-owned bank, BNI inaugurated a new BNI Seoul office and the establishment of the Korea Desk in Seoul, South Korea on April 16. Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Umar Hadi and General Manager of the BNI Seoul Branch Office, Anisfu symbolically inaugurated the BNI New Office. Deputy President Director of BNI, Adi Sulistyowati and Director of Treasury and several other BNI directors from Jakarta were virtually present.
On this occasion, Ambassador Umar Hadi said that his side always adheres to the principle of Indonesia Incorporated, namely all elements, namely the Government, State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) and the private sector, move in one unified step. The presence of this new office and the Korea Desk will make the Overseas Branch Office (KCLN) a trade & investment center, and strengthen the support for Indonesian Micro-small and medium enterprises' efforts to penetrate the global market.
Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Tohir also gave a speech at the inauguration. He said that the presence of BNI in Seoul has a deeper meaning than just its economic role. The existence of BNI in Seoul proves that the cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea is close and they have established diplomatic relations for 48 years. The close relationship and bilateral cooperation open opportunities for cooperation in various sectors.
The inauguration of this office was also attended by several South Korean companies that have collaborated with BNI, including Lotte Mart, Samsung and LG. Currently, the cooperation that has been running from the consumer business side includes credit card co-branding products, support programs at product launching and also advisory services.
The close relationship between South Korea and Indonesia is strongly driven by investment and trade activities of both countries. South Korea is Indonesia's fifth largest trading partner with a trade volume of more than US$13,335 million. The presence of BNI in Seoul aims to seize these opportunities.
Three IPB University students won gold medals at the Moscow International Salon of Invention and Innovative Technologies which was held in Russia through the Iqropolly innovation. Iqropolly is a media game for teaching Da'wah to children in a bid to teach the Qur'an, accompanied by educational efforts and character education. This game has been known since 2015. This idea was first pioneered by Agung Suharyana, an alumnus of IPB University who used to start Iqropolly along with his colleagues.
Iqropolly is a board game that has the appearance of a monopoly game. The gameplay is almost similar to the game of monopoly or snakes and ladders which uses dice and pawns. The players take turns rolling the dice and running the pawns to the 23 squares on the game board. The 23 boxes contain challenges in the form of instructions and questions regarding Islamic teachings.
These challenges include memorizing prayers, zikr, reading prayers, the names of prophets, messengers and angels, zakat infaq sadaqah, and many others.
Iqropolly is played by 5 children with 1 companion from an adult. Points are awarded to players for successfully completing existing challenges. To further give the impression of fun, props in the form of fairy tales are also provided. In the future, iqropolly will be excpected to also reach the digital world.
Indonesian garment companies and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of South African cooperate to establish a partnership company, Pan Africa in the field of textiles. Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa, Salman Al Farisi, as conveyed in a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria received by Antara News Agency in Jakarta on Monday (12/4) stated that the establishment of the factory involving local resources and wisdom is the most obvious bilateral cooperation.
Besides, Ambassador Salman when inaugurating the operation of the Indonesia-South Africa partnership company, Pan Africa in the business center of the Johannesburg business and commercial area stated that with the emphasis on the aspects of empowering small businesses and women, this kind of partnership model can be worked on in non-traditional markets in the region. Pan Africa is a joint venture between Indonesia's leading garment company, Pan Brother and South African MSMEs, Faithfulness.
Ambassador Salman Al Farisi really appreciated the establishment of Pan Africa which he called an ideal form of mutually beneficial partnership. In its operation, Pan Africa will import semi-finished personal protective equipment (PPE) garments from Indonesia and then complete the processing at a factory in Johannesburg. Head of Johannesburg Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC), Anggun Paramita Mahdi believes that the successful establishment of the partnership company can be a good precedent and pilot project for other Indonesian products, particularly the PPE to enter to the South African market.
Meanwhile, Deputy Managing Director of Pan Brothers Indonesia, Anne Patricia Sutanto, in her online remarks expressed her gratitude for the assistance and support of the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria and ITPC Johannesburg in the initial process of establishing Pan Africa which was done remotely. She also expressed the same hope that the opening of this factory would be the beginning of greater cooperation in the future. The inauguration of the Pan Africa operation was a positive achievement by the Indonesian representatives amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria is committed to being continuously optimistic in carrying out Indonesia's economic diplomacy, including in facilitating business relations between Indonesia and South Africa.
The Indonesian Embassy in London held a Business Briefing "Indonesia Investment Authority: Game Changer for Indonesian Investment" at the Indonesian Embassy in London, last Wednesday (7/4).Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Desra Percaya explained in a welcome remark that the Indonesian government has established a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) institution called the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA).In addition, the government has also set 51 out of a total of 54 rules for implementing the Omnibus Law to facilitate investment.
Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the AEC, Richard Graham MP who was also present at this activity welcomed the establishment of the SWF institution in Indonesia.He also explained the importance of the SWF, especially during the economic crisis and its role in accelerating the economic growth of a country. Graham added that the formation of INA is the right step to increase British investment in Indonesia's infrastructure.
On that occasion, the key participant for this activity, CEO of the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), Dr. Ridha Wirakusumah explained the advantages of investing in Indonesia through INA.According to Ridha, through INA, business people and investors will also get access to a mechanism towards an agreement on strategic assets of the government’s projects and the State-Owned Enterprises’ assets as well as ownership agreements in other sectors.
The session at this activity discussed INA's commitment to green finance, especially carbon tax, which attracted the attention of the global market.Regulations related to carbon trading are currently in the design process. The discussion session also discussed the priorities of the Indonesian government in absorbing investment in the transportation sector, especially airports.This is because this sector needs to be prepared to meet demand when the economy recovers after the Covid-19 pandemic.
This Business Briefing was held by the Indonesian Embassy in London in collaboration with the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) and the Indonesia Investment Promotion Center (IIPC) London.The event was moderated by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Chair of UKABC. The briefing was attended by 72 participants, mostly from financial services businesses in the UK, consultants, government representatives, academics and think-tanks.
The Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria, as the host of the ASEAN Pretoria Committee, held a Golf Day 2021 event which was attended by ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN and friendly countries. According to the Information, Socio-Cultural Function of the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria, the food served by Indonesia received a good reception from the ambassadors and representatives of the friendly countries as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the Department of Human Settlement of South Africa. The ASEAN Golf Day 2021 was held at the start of the week as a friendly competition, with the implementation of strict health protocols, and was attended by 40 participants. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Avin Bottes opened the tournament which highlighted distinctive Indonesian nuances and various ornaments representing Indonesia. The Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria also took advantage of the event to promote Indonesian products that have been circulating in the South African market, such as instant noodles, drinks, biscuits, candy, medicines and coconut products.
The Indonesia-Morocco Council for Trade and Investment Cooperation (DK PRIMA) will increase trade between the two countries by 100 times in the next ten years. This was decided at the DK PRIMA National Working Meeting which was held at Vila Balimuda, Bogor, West Java, last Saturday (3/4). To achieve this target, DK PRIMA encourages both countries to immediately sign a Preferred Trade Agreement. In addition, DK PRIMA also plans to invite Moroccan King Mohammed VI to visit Indonesia.