VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Bali won the award as the 3rd Best Island to Visit Around the World. The award was part of Travel+Leisure Magazine's World's Best Awards 2024. For this annual award, Travel+Leisure asked readers about their travel experiences across the world, then shared their opinions about hotels & spas, cities, safari & tour operators, transportations, cruises, as well as islands and national parks. More than 186,000 respondents joined in the survey.

Maldives, Phu Quoc, and Bali stood at the top of the 25 Best Islands to Visit Around the World, based on criteria such as natural attractions/beaches, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people/friendliness, and value.

Bali has natural beaches with clear water, making the island the most ideal spot for relaxation and rejuvenation. This gets better with many interesting activities starting from surfing, snorkeling, to joining traditional festivals and tasting local dishes.

Travel+Leisure wrote that Bali is called the "Island of the Gods". Bali has a rich heritage that can be experienced through traditional ceremonies, old temples, and intricate dance performances. Travel+Leisure readers praised Balinese people and their value for money or quite affordable for foreign tourists.

Between the Maldives at the 1st rank and Bali at the 3rd rank, there was Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. The island off the western coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand is a new destination. While several beaches in Southeast Asia are developed, Phu Quoc keeps its tranquility. It has fewer people, but tourists can enjoy the island's most indulgent hotel.

Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, accredited to Albania and North Macedonia, Iwan Bogananta, on Thursday (18/7) facilitated a trade transaction of Indonesian palm oil derivative products for the Bulgarian market worth 10 million US dollars or around 162 billion rupiah.

In a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia, Jakarta, on Friday (19/7), Ambassador Iwan said that they had identified the company's needs for the palm oil derivative products in question. In the future, they are striving to encourage the two companies to develop joint businesses in the form of joint investment to build new product brands in Bulgaria.

He stated that the realization of this cooperation is a follow-up to efforts to develop palm oil products, especially vegetable fat, which has high demand in the Balkan region.

According to Iwan, in the initial stage, PT Wahana Citra Nabati Indonesia and the Bulgarian company PICCO will conduct trade for product development to meet the Bulgarian market needs.

Director of PT Wahana Citra Nabati Indonesia, Evann Tjokrosetio, mentioned that he had previously communicated and explored opportunities through Ambassador Iwan. In the initial stage, they will send one container of various types of palm oil derivative products to be tested first, followed by placing a year-long order.

Evann also highlighted that PICCO has an extensive network, sophisticated warehousing facilities, and storage logistics with the latest technology, including automated and robotic systems integrated with a very large area.

Meanwhile, Commercial Director of PICCO Bulgaria, Kiril Ivanov, said the need for vegetable fat and its derivatives is very large. He hopes that PICCO can establish long-term cooperation with Indonesia.

Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Siswo Pramono, said Indonesia and Australia have a variety of resources that have the potential to strengthen collaboration in the green transition, one of which is related to the development of electric cars.

As a keynote speaker at the International Symposium on Critical Metals for Battery Production at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, Monday (15/7), Ambassador Siswo Pramono said both countries have qualified experts in developing the energy transition. He encouraged cooperation between Indonesian and Australian researchers to find the most efficient green energy solutions that can be implemented in both countries.

He also highlighted the key natural resources in battery production that both countries have. Indonesia has nickel and Australia has lithium.

According to him, Indonesia and Australia have an umbrella for cooperation in the energy transition and development of electric vehicles in the form of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2023.

The Ambassador said The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement also makes the green energy transition one of the priorities of bilateral cooperation. Therefore, it is very appropriate for Indonesia and Australia to strengthen cooperation in developing electric vehicles.

Moreover, the high level of demand for electric vehicles in Australia also provides export potential for Indonesia which is now able to produce its own cars and electric motorbikes.

One of the speakers at the symposium, the Indonesian Head of the Nanotechnology and Materials Research Organization, National Research and Innovation Agency, Professor Ratno Nuryadi, presented a number of research in battery development and recycling.

Meanwhile, Education and Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib, explained the presence of the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia at the symposium was within the framework of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra's Ambassador goes to campus program. He hopes that the symposium can encourage collaboration between Indonesian and Australian researchers and institutions in the field of energy transition and development of electric vehicles.

The Indonesian Embassy in Tunis held an Indonesian language course at the Nusantara Room of the Indonesian Embassy in Tunis on Wednesday (17/7). The course was attended by Indonesian Ambassador to Tunisia, Zuhairi Misrawi. He said that  he assured the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Tunisia were getting stronger. This was reflected in the great interest of Tunisian citizens to learn Indonesian. The participants of the Indonesian language course come from professionals, including students and residents from various cities in Tunisia.

Ambassador Zuhairi in a press release of the Indonesian Embassy in Tunis on  Wednesday (17/7) expressed his gratitude that   the Indonesian Embassy was able to organize an Indonesian language course this summer, and he hoped  it would soon become a routine activity during the summer.  Ambassador Zuhairi also explained that  currently, the Indonesian Embassy has Indonesian language course classes on various campuses in Tunisia,  such as at the University of Carthage, University of Sousse  and Zaitunah University. and the embassy will open courses on a number of other campuses.

Moreover, Ambassador Zuhairi is optimistic that  the ability to speak Indonesian for Tunisians will encourage stronger diplomacy and bring benefits to both countries. In addition,  it is open for Tunisians to study at various campuses in Indonesia,  encouraging increase of tourism and trade cooperation for both countries . He  added that language is a strong bridge to foster mutual respect and mutual appreciation.