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Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Achmad Ubaedillah, officially opened the 2024 Indonesian Halal Product Exhibition which took place at the International Convention Center in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

As a form of support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and the Indonesian halal industry, the Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan held the exhibition by inviting 20 participants from Indonesia.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports of Brunei Darussalam, Pengiran Mohammad Amirrizal bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, was the guest of honor at the event.

In a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, Ambassador Achmad Ubaedillah expressed his hope that this year Indonesia and Brunei could restore the trend of increasing bilateral trade, especially after the exhibition was held.

The Ambassador hopes that the Halal Expo can attract investors from Brunei to invest in the halal industry in Indonesia, and that Brunei tourists will get more information about Muslim-friendly destinations in Indonesia.

At the Halal Expo, various products such as food and drinks, medicine, cosmetics, Muslim clothing, and Muslim-friendly tourist destinations in Indonesia were exhibited.

The Indonesian businessmen's association in Brunei and the social organization Indonesian Community Association in Brunei Darussalam also participated in the exhibition. The potential of Indonesia's halal industry is estimated to be worth around 400 billion Brunei dollars or around 4.8 trillion rupiah.

In 2023, Indonesia occupied the 3rd position in the Global Islamic Economic Indicator Ranking, and in the halal food sector, Indonesia was in the 2nd position.

According to data from the Indonesian Embassy, the volume of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Brunei from 2019 to 2022 continued to increase, from 133.7 million US dollars to 897.3 million US dollars, before that figure decreased last year.

The celebration was held with Cultural Performance in the courtyard of Solo City Hall, Saturday evening (22/06/2024). The event was attended by the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Solo and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka were also present. In this event, India performed a number of dances from both traditional and modern origins. Such as Indian Odissi Dance, Bollywood Dance With Vina Fan, Yoga With Anjasmara, and Surakarta Dance.

Apart from that, there was also a Yoga Day event for the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Yoga at the Pagelaran Keraton Surakarta, Sunday (23/06/2024). Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty said this event marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Indonesia in establishing international relations.

 
On that occasion, Ambassador Sandeep invited all those present to have a flashback that India was the second country after Egypt to receive international recognition after the proclamation of Indonesian independence on 17 August 1945. India recognized Indonesia's sovereignty on 2 September 1946. According to Sandeep, India will always support Indonesia with the new president Prabowo Subianto and vice president Gibran.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Solo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, appreciated the Indian government's support for Indonesia. Diplomatic relations between the two countries will be well maintained. He admitted that he had brought the proposal put forward by the Indian ambassador. The collaboration is related to artificial intelligence.

The peak celebration of India-Indonesia diplomatic cooperation was attended by hundreds of people. Solo residents who attended were also amazed by the performance of Indian artists when they performed the country's typical dance. Apart from that, traditional Indian dance also enlivened the event, a number of traditional dances from the Mangkunegaran and Solo Palaces were also performed.

Hundreds of Kenyan student athletes participated in the Pencak Silat Ambassador's Cup 2024 tournament held at Woodcreek School in Kiambu County, Kenya, Saturday (22/6).

In a written statement received by Antara in Jakarta on Sunday (23/6), Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya, Mohamad Hery Saripudin, explained that the event is part of the celebration of 45 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Kenya. According to Ambassador Mohamad Hery, this event not only fosters cultural exchanges between Indonesia and Kenya but also serves as a cultural bridge to enhance mutual understanding and relations among the people of both countries.

At the event, Ambassador Hery also inaugurated the opening of Pencak Silat training centers in six schools in Kenya. He stated that Pencak Silat is is not only a martial art but also a discipline to improve physical fitness, mental resilience, and cultural appreciation.

The Ambassador's Cup 2024 is a collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi, the National Federation of Pencak Silat Kenya (NFPSK), and an Indonesian instant noodle production company in Kenya. 248 participants from various schools in Kenya took part in the event.

The tournament featured several categories, ranging from children to adults, boys, girls, stance demonstrations, one-on-one sparring, and was attended by at least 500 people, including participants’ families, and supporters. The event was also attended by Rector of Umma University, lecturers from the Technical University of Mombasa who brought participant delegations, as well as school principals whose students participated in the competition.

Abdul Kadir Jailani, Director for Asia, Pacific, and Africa at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who attended as a guest of honor, welcomed this Pencak Silat tournament. He mentioned that this event would strengthen Indonesia-Kenya relations. Meanwhile, Cleopas Chalica, Chairman of the National Federation of Pencak Silat Kenya, urged theparticipants to respect sportsmanship, solidarity, friendship, and camaraderie during the tournament.

The Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi said that they seized the momentum by providing support for the advancement of Pencak Silat in Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. This support includes providing Silat uniforms, protective gear, Silat props, as well as organizing tournaments and other activities to promote Pencak Silat to the world.(Ant)

The Indonesian  Embassy Tokyo held a cultural and historical exhibition entitled Batanghari River in History Civilization. The exhibition aims at introducing the variety of Indonesian cultures in Japan. The event is held at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo on June 17-23, 2024. This activity is a collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo with the Directorate General of Culture of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology and Serumpun Bumi Melayu.

Moreover, the exhibition was officially opened by the Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi  on Monday June 17, 2024. In his remarks, Ambassador Heri emphasized that Batanghari plays an important role in encouraging cultural exchanges. Besides that, it also enriches the Indonesian art tradition in the history of Indonesia's relations with the outside world.

Ambassador Heri in his statement on Wednesday (19/6) conveyed  Batanghari which is geographically located in Jambi  has become a channel of cultural exchange and human endeavor ranging from ancient trade networks to modern artistic expressions. He explained the area around the Batanghari River is also a melting pot for many religions in Indonesia  such as Hinduism , Buddhism, Islam  and other local beliefs.

Ambassador Heri affirmed  the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo always promotes the variety of cultures of the archipelago on various occasions as part of Indonesia's diplomacy. According to him, this effort continues to be made so that the rich variety of Indonesian culture continues to be embedded in the memories of Japanese and world citizens. He hopes  this exhibition will inspire many people especially the Japanese . He also hopes  Japanese citizens visit Indonesia  including the Batanghari.

The exhibition was also attended by the Egyptian Ambassador to Japan and diplomatic representatives from the United States, China,  Philippines  and Laos. There were also a number of Nusantara cultural experts  including Sativa Sutan Aswar as a representative of Serumpun Bumi Melayu. Sativa also explained Batanghari is one of the centers of civilization in Indonesia which has received and influenced by other cultures . One of them is traditional cloth or wastra around Batanghari.

The exhibition also displays various Batanghari handicrafts including porcelain plates, wastra  and silk kurung clothes  as well as Batanghari specialties  namely Gandus Cake.