VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

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The  Indonesian Embassy in Suva held a "Talanoa"  or interactive discussion session at the Paradiso Restaurant in Suva, Fiji on Wednesday (3/7). The Talanoa session was held to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between the Indonesian and Fijian media industries as well as explore potential areas for mutual collaboration.

In addition, the session was attended by  representatives from the Fijian media, representatives of academics from the Fiji National University (FNU) and the University of Fiji, as well as members of the Fiji-Indonesia Friendship Association (FIFA).  From Indonesia, senior journalist for Kompas newspaper, Laraswati Ariadne Anwar, and senior news anchor for SEA Today, Mochamad Achir also attended the Talanoa activity. These two senior journalists came to Fiji to participate as resource persons at the 2024 Pacific International Media Conference at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Fiji, Dupito Simamora at the event affirmed the importance of the media in improving bilateral relations. Ambassador Simamora also conveyed that Fiji and Indonesia are both considered as leaders in their respective regions and there are many things that can be learned from each other as equal partners.

Moreover, Ambassador Simamora also touched on the friendship between the two countries, which is entering 50 years this year. According to him, Indonesia has long been Fiji's development partner, and relations between the two countries are based on trust and respect. Talanoa session participants discussed a wide range of issues, studying the diverse media industries in Fiji and Indonesia and discussing important issues such as freedom of expression, accurate reporting and media ethics.

Then, this session was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information. The Talanoa session or discussion emphasized the importance of strengthening diplomacy among people, cultural exchanges, and strengthening commitment to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, especially in the media sector.