VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The prospect of investment in Indonesia was discussed at the Economic Forum on Indonesia which took place in the business district of La Défense, France on Tuesday (6/3). The Forum was organized by the Puteaux Mayor's office in cooperation with International Business Performance & Partners. It was attended by more than 50 people from politicians, businesspeople, academics and other French society.This Economic Forum is the third of its kind focusing on Indonesia's economic prospects. The two previous forums discussed China and Maroko. In the opening, The Indonesian Embassy ad-interim Charge d'Affaires, Agung Kurniadi, on behalf of the Indonesian Ambassador, expressed his views on Indonesia-France bilateral relations and Indonesia's macro economic condition. Meanwhile, Head of London Capital Investment Coordinating Board, Nurul Ichwan delivered a presentation on the current condition of the climate investment, prospects investment and tourism in Indonesia. The presentation was followed by International Business Performance & Partners that delivered a presentation about Komodo Ventures based in Jakarta, and e-commerce prospect in Indonesia. La Défense is an area which deliberately built by French Government as business district that become the largest in Europe nowadays. Administratively, the La Défense region is divided into several areas of the city. However, theyare still part of the Paris Metropolitan Area, directly adjacent to the City of Paris on the west side. A number of French multinational corporations' headquarters are in La Défense, such as Total, Fiat, and AXA.

Eighteen junior high school students of Altheneum Brussels, Belgium attended a Balinese gamelan and kecak dance workshop at the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels on Wednesday (7/3). Indonesia's Ambassador to Belgium, Yuri Octavian Thamrin mingled with Belgian students at a workshop that lasted for two hours. This workshop became one of the cultural introduction activities organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels in collaboration with Belgian local schools to provide Indonesian cultural knowledge, especially through the Indonesian traditional musical instruments.The instructor, I Made Wardana started the introduction to the students by playing traditional musical instruments, such as Javanese gamelan, kecapi, angklung, Balinese gamelan and gong from various sizes. Balinese dance -Kecak dance was also introduced to the children and companion teachers. Dance and music are one of the media that can be used to introduce Indonesian culture to European society.

Welcoming the Spring, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Guangzhou in collaboration with the Sofitel Hotel in downtown Guangzhou served a variety of Indonesian culinary, as part of the buffet dinner at its restaurant. Chinese citizens can enjoy the delights of gado-gado, mixed vegetables with peanut sauce, balado egg, belacan kale, and Indonesian fried rice. This activity lasted from March 8 to March 13. Sofitel has invited Chef Andrew from Jakarta to guarantee authenticity of the Indonesian cuisine. Indonesian culinary has always been part of Indonesia's diplomacy in the world. The rich flavors of different spices and cooking techniques make Indonesian culinary as a prima donna.

Currently, breathing detection devices in Indonesia are considered very limited in quantity. Even if there is, there is an analog system only. The electrode material used as a sensor is also poor in irradiated fields such as MRI. The size of the tool is also still large. Seeing this, lecturer of Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, East Java, Agus Muhamad Hatta ST, PhD invents innovative sensor to detect various breathing with fiber optics as the main material. The tool is called ‘Senapas’ (Optical Fiber for Breath). In his invention, Agus Muhamad Hatta ST  PhD discovered the tool at the Photonic Engineering Laboratory of ITS Engineering, Department of Physics. The man who is familiarly called Hatta explained that the optical fiber is a transmission line; it’s a kind of cable made of glass or plastic. This tool is very smooth. Its diameter is approximately 120 micrometers. The size is thinner than a hair. The thin cable can be used to deliver light signals from one place to another. Light sources used are usually laser or Light-Emitting Diode (LED). The light inside the optical fiber will also not come out because the refractive index of glass is bigger than the refractive index of air. So, the fiber optic transmission speed is very high. Agus Muhamad Hatta ST, PhD as Chairman of the Department of  Physics Engineering  explains, optical fiber is chosen as a sensor because it is lightweight, small, and practical. Its small shape makes it possible to use Senapas anytime and anywhere. In addition, the optical fiber properties are also immune to electromagnetic fields, so it is safe to use in the environment of Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI). The optical fiber is placed in an oxygen mask connected to the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Because optical fibers are used as sensors, the Breath can measure the breathing quality directly from the oxygen mask worn to the display monitor. Hatta also views that breathing detection device -Breath is very useful. It can be used not only for medical analysis, but also psychological analysis, or the resilience of workers in the industrial world. Take for example in the mining industry. Mining conditions underground may be observed with this respiratory detection device directly and it can also detect the athlete's fitness condition or other cases. Hatta hopes, this tool can be commercialized freely although the selling value of this tool is quite expensive. Data viewer system is quite expensive, but the oxygen mask is quite cheap, because once it is used, it can be thrown away.

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing revitalized Lake Tempe which is located among three regencies, namely Wajo, Soppeng and Sidrap  with the total area of 13,000 hectares. The lake is one of 15 critical lakes in Indonesia that will be revitalized. Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing in Jakarta, Thursday (8/3) stated that the revitalization  program of Lake Tempe including lake sediment dredging reaches 8.58 million cubic meters, weed water control and the installation of geocomposite and geosynthetic. The revitalization will add water volume capacity to 7.23 million cubic meters from water volume capacity of 207,66 million cubic meters. With additional water volume, it is hoped that the water requirement of people suroounding Lake Tempe will be fulfilled. The revitalization can also increase planting index rice crops from 106 percent to 260 percent. So far, the irrigation of 5,000 hectare farmland around the lake has been supplied with pump water.

Sago flour products from Meranti Islands regency, Riau are now able to penetrate the Japanese market. Its export reaches 50 tons per day. A spokesman of the Sago Prima company management, Bina Pasaribu in Selatpanjang on Thursday (8/3) said that with the export of Indonesian products to Japan, this indicates that  the level of Indonesian sago products, especially from Meranti Regency has been recognized well. Bina Pasaribu explained that PT National Sagu Prima currently has 14 thousand hectares of plantation area in Meranti. To meet the export quality of sago flour, the company has put forward the environmentally friendly and sustainable aspects, so that the process and the sago products can fulfill the world standard. In accordance with the need and demand, PT. National Sagu Prima produces sago flour reaching 30-50 tons per day in which this is not apart from the support of Meranti regional government.  Meanwhile, Regent of Meranti Islands, Irwan admitted that the process of sago in the region  from cutting to milling and packing process has an export quality standard.

PT Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) affirmed its commitment to preserve the Bau Nyale tradition in Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK), Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara -NTB. Bau Nyale is a tradition of catching colorful sea worms that only appear once a year. Head of General Affairs of ITDC, I Gusti Lanang Bratasuta believed that the traditional performance, that has been handed down by Lombok community, will continue to be implemented in the future. Moreover, Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation -ITDC will pack the event with more interesting concept in the coming years. The highlight of the Bau Nyale Festival took place at Seger Beach, on Tuesday (6/3) evening.

After a 10-year dispute, Timor Leste and Australia signed a maritime border agreement at UN Headquarters in New York, USA last Wednesday (March 7). This is a permanent agreement between the two countries, after a non-permanent one  that Timor-Leste deems very damaging. In the deal signed by Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop and Timor Leste Deputy Prime Minister for Border Delimitation Affairs, Augusto Cabral, the two countries agreed to use the UNCLOS Convention on the Law of the Sea. Since separating  from Indonesia in 2002, East Timor has attempted to negotiate its maritime borders with Australia. Although assisted by Australia during the referendum, Timor Leste does not want to be dictated in maritime border affairs. For over 10 years since 2006, Timor Leste has fought and even brought this issue to the International Arbitration Tribunal for a fair decision. The injustice to Timor-Leste is due to the non-permanent border setting. The maritime borders of the two states were determined on the basis of the Australian continental shelf closer to Timor-Leste. With the implementation of UNCLOS, the maritime borders of the two states are the medians of their respective coastlines. The signing of this agreement became a victory for East Timorese diplomacy, and gave hope for the control of oil-and-gas rich sources in the Greater Sunrise region. Timor Leste will receive a larger share of revenue than Australia, depending on the concept of development. If oil and gas mining from Greater Sunrise is channeled to Timor Leste, its share is 70%. Conversely, if channeled to Australia for processing, East Timor gets 80%. Australia itself was willing to  sign this agreement, underlining that East Timor is also entitled to its economic potential. Indonesia through the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Armanatha Nasir welcomed the results of the bilateral talks and will study the details of the agreement once it is open. The efforts of the two states to conclude this treaty peacefully are worthy of respect, even though it had previously been strained by bringing the matter to the International Arbitration Tribunal. It is hoped that East Timor can develop its economy from natural resources. While  Australia, which is willing to release the part,  which was claimed based on the continental shelf of the country, also deserves appreciation. It is hoped that Indonesia and other countries with similar problems can solve their border disputes  peacefully as Timor Leste and Australia did.