VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (third from left) along with, among others, Prime Minister Giorgona Meloni of Italy (second from right) and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan (far right) raise their shovels after planting mangrove trees in Ngurah Rai Forest Park (Tahura) on the second day of the G20 Summit in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday (16/11/2022). (Photo by: ANTARA FOTO/Media Center G20 Indonesia/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/aww.)

VOINews,Jakarta: Japan and Italy reached an agreement on Friday (14/6) to bolster cooperation in diplomacy, defense, and economic security amidst rising global tensions.

As reported by Antara, The meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took place in Fasano, Italy, during the G7 Summit to finalize the action plan, as stated by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The comprehensive agreement encompasses seven key areas, including collaboration in diplomacy, defense, and economic security, underscoring the imperative of enhanced partnership in light of China's military resurgence and Russia's incursion into Ukraine.

Additionally, the cooperation extends to various sectors such as economy, culture, people-to-people exchanges, academia, science and technology, as well as food and agriculture.

The joint effort reflects a shared understanding that security in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region is interconnected, with a mutual objective of upholding international peace and stability, as mentioned in the official statement.

Japan's constitutional stance against war traditionally imposes limitations on defense exports. Nevertheless, Tokyo has progressively eased these restrictions since 2014, facilitating the conditional development of defense equipment.

Notably, Japan aims to collaborate with the UK and Italy in the joint development of next-generation fighter jets by 2035, marking a significant milestone in collective defense equipment advancement.

Japan's defense partnerships extend to 16 other nations, including Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, the US, Vietnam, and Ukraine./Antara/VOI

Chef de Mission (CdM) of Team Indonesia for the Paris 2024 Olympics Anindya Bakrie, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI/NOC Indonesia) Ismail Ning, Greysia Polii, and participants running at GBK Jakarta, Saturday (June 15, 2024). (Photo by: ANTARA/HO/NOC Indonesia)

VOINews,Jakarta: Chef de Mission (CdM) of Team Indonesia for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Anindya Bakrie, and Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI/NOC Indonesia), Ismail Ning, have engaged in promoting the spirit of the Paris Olympics with the public through a running event at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta on Saturday.

"This is part of our efforts to raise awareness about the upcoming Olympics. We are now just 41 days away from the Olympics, with athletes having already qualified and some still striving. Hopefully, with the prayers and support of the community, they will be more motivated to win medals and proudly sing Indonesia Raya," explained Anindya Bakrie, as quoted in KOI's official statement.

"Today, we ran around GBK to provide information about the Indonesian team that will compete in the Paris Olympics. The highlight will be our NOC Indonesia hosting Olympic Day on June 22 at GBK, inviting the public to engage in sports activities for a Healthy and Champion Indonesia," added Ismail Ning.

Also present at the event was badminton player Greysia Polii, who is also a gold medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The group started their run from Cafe Zonablu Gofit inside the ring road of the GBK Stadium. Participants ran a distance of 5 kilometers and mingled with the public in the GBK area.

"I'm usually the one doing sports, but this time I ran alongside the CdM and NOC Indonesia as a form of support for Indonesian athletes competing in the Olympics. I pray that they can win gold," said Greysia Polii.

Plans are underway for Zonablu Gofit to become the information center for Team Indonesia at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

At Zonablu, there will be photos of Indonesian athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Additionally, the public can show support by signing the wall of fame./Antara/VOI.

A foreign tourist takes a picture of the rice field scenery in Jatiluwih, Tabanan, Bali. The 303-hectare rice field area is one of UNESCO's world cultural heritage sites. (Photo by: ANTARA FOTO/Nyoman Budhiana/ed/pd/pri)

VOINews, Jakarta: Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has identified Tabanan district in Bali as a strong candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

As reported by Antara, Tabanan's Subak Jatiluwih, an agricultural area designated as an intangible world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 2012, significantly boosts its candidacy.

"With its heritage site, Tabanan has tremendous potential. The district can become part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network through the selection process," Uno stated during his visit to Tabanan on Friday.

At a workshop, the minister highlighted Indonesia's success in incorporating Bandung, Jakarta, Ambon, Pekalongan, and Solo into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

He noted that these cities were recognized for their achievements in design, music, and art, suggesting that Tabanan could join them with its unique culinary offerings.

"While I initially considered promoting Tabanan's art performances, I was captivated by the local dish sate lilit," Uno mentioned, referring to a traditional satay made by wrapping meat around a skewer. "The district's culinary potential is remarkable."

Uno elaborated that for Tabanan to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the local government must submit a detailed application for the selection process.

"The Tabanan regional secretary assured me that they are prepared to achieve creative city status in line with UNESCO standards by next year," he said.

The minister emphasized the necessity for Tabanan to present its top creative products to meet UNESCO’s criteria and secure its place in the network./Antara/VOI.

VOInews,Jakarta:Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno promoted Indonesia's tourism to residents of the Middle East, Central Europe, and Central America, identified as potential marketing regions.

This was stated by Minister Sandiaga Uno during the Familiarization Trip Program on Friday (15/6) while meeting with travel agents, journalists, content creators, and tourism observers from Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, and Panama.

"These participants have a crucial role in promoting Indonesia to these three potential marketing regions," he conveyed.

Minister SandiagaUno further explained his primary focus was on residents of the three regions, which saw significant contributions to Indonesia's international tourist arrivals last year.

In 2023, the number of Bulgarian tourists visiting Indonesia increased by 33 percent, Central American tourists by 35 percent, and Saudi Arabian tourists by 30 percent, he said.

"We aim to use this momentum to attract more culture-interested tourists," he said.

He further pointed out that his ministry aims to attract more visitors and ensure these travelers are "quality tourists" who spend more nights in Indonesia.

Minister Uno expressed hope that the Familiarization Trip Program would encourage participants to promote Indonesia's tourism upon returning to their countries.

"We hope for continued promotions that will result in more tourists visiting Indonesia, as we have seen a significant increase in visits from those three regions," he stated.

During the activity, SandiagaUno was accompanied by Sukmo Harsono, Indonesian Ambassador to Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nikaragua, and Iwan Bogananta, Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Albania, and North Macedonia. (Antara)