The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has acknowledged its continued support for trade cooperation improvement between Indonesia and Lebanon. Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Hajriyanto Y Thohari gave the Primaduta Award to Lebanese businessman and importer, George R Fattouh. The award was given for his service in helping market Indonesian products in Paris from the Middle East. The award was given at a ceremony at the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, Thursday (11/1) Fatough, is the owner of George R. Fattouh S.A.L, a business that has been importing Indonesian products since the 1980s. It has a range of products, including: palm oil and its derivatives, oil and fats (including cocoa butter substitute, fat spread, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and lauric confectionery fats), cardboard, stationary, and school equipment. Some Indonesian products are now even available at famous retail networks, such as Spinney’s and Carrefour. In 2022, the value imported by George R. Fattough S.A.L of Indonesian products, was 981.3 million USD. This was a 149.5 million USD increase when compared to 2021. Fattouh said Indonesian products are known for their quality and are in high demand in Lebanese markets. However, he said, the challenge now is increasing freight costs due to security challenges in the region.
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Listeners, a number of delicious dishes were served to the guests of Dhaup Ageng Pura Pakualaman Yogyakarta, at the wedding reception of the youngest son of K.G.P.A.A. Paku Alam X, namely B.P.H. Kusumo Kuntonugroho with Laily Annisa Kusumastuti which was held on January 10, 2024.Head of the Customs and Accommodation Division, Dhaup Ageng Pura Pakualaman, KRT Radyo Wisroyo said that the menu served to guests was quite varied. These menus are typical menus prepared by Pakualaman Pura, Indonesian menus and western food menus were also available. All invited guests including VIP and VVIP guests got the same menu. The first menu served to welcome guests, namely two types of welcome drink, namely lime lemongrass and ginger drink with lime. The welcome drink was given when guests sat down and watched the Bedhaya Sidamukti and Bedhaya Kakung Indrawidagda dance performances. Next, they gotsnacks for appetizer such as croquettes and other light snacks. There is a snack that is considered quite special and rare called Garulina. Garulina was the opening snack at the Pahargyan Dhaup Ageng Pakualaman lunch on the first day. Garulina has been around since the era before Indonesian independence. Garulina is actually not a typical Central Javanese food. It looks like the Lapis Legit layered cake, but there is something different, because there is a special layer like vla which is made from fresh milk, eggs and sugar. To get this sweet snack, Pakulaman Temple has to place a special order from the third generation of makers who have been pioneering since the 1950s. In Jogja, Garulina is very difficult to find and is considered rare because it is not sold every day.
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The Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam hosted a regular brainstorming forum among Indonesian heads of representatives in the Southeast Asia region online on Friday (25/2). The event was entitled "Development of High Added-Value Manufacturing Industry and Increase of foreign Investment to Indonesia".
The forum was opened by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Mahendra Siregar with a keynote speaker by Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia. In addition, other speakers were President Director of Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), and VP and COO of Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific.
Some Indonesian Ambassadors, Indonesian Consul Generals, Indonesian Consuls in Southeast Asia and the forum participants actively interacted with the speakers. They discussed policies and strategies in realizing efforts to develop ecosystems and the production of the electric battery industry, which will support Indonesia as a production base leading electric vehicles.
This brainstorming forum concluded that it is time for Indonesia to fully focus on mastering technology through strengthening research and development by combining national strengths and international partners. This is expected to be able to realize the ideals, transforming Indonesia's natural wealth into high added-value products and strong competitiveness.
Various typical weaving accessories of Maumere, Flores became one of the Indonesian products sold at the Indonesia Sunday Market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Sunday (27/2). The accessories, such as earrings, bracelets, bags, and woven patterned cloths of East Nusa Tenggara attracted the visitors at the Indonesian Sunday Market. They could enjoy various Indonesian culinary delights, including goat satay, Padang rice, gado-gado, geprek chicken and traditional snacks, such as lupis cakes, layer cakes, stuffed tofu and other culinary. No wonder, the activities were also welcomed by not only Indonesian citizens, but also Vietnamese people and other foreigners.
On this occasion, the Consulate General of the Indonesian Republic (KJRI) in Ho Chi Minh City distributed prizes to some visitors who took part in spreading the Indonesian Sunday Market through social media. Moreover, the Consulate General also conveyed information about the Indonesian Presidency at the G20 through video clips briefly and distributed the Xin Chao-Apa Kabar newsletter which is a monthly business communication media for the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.
Furthermore, Dharma Wanita Persatuan at the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City also presented entertainment, such as contemporary Indonesian dances. Dozens of visitors who attended the event seemed enthusiastic to watch and even followed the dance movements presented with the concept of "flashmob." Indonesian Sunday Market is an event to promote lots of products and Indonesian culture initiated by the Indonesian diaspora community in Ho Chi Minh City. This activity is also planned to be carried out regularly by applying the development of the pandemic situation and adherence to health protocols.
Muhammadiyah Makassar University cooperates with a state university in Uzbekistan, the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages (SamSIFL). The cooperation was signed virtually on Saturday (26/02).
The cooperation was focused on three missions of universities namely education, research, and public service. The cooperation would include lecturer and student exchange, joint research, joint teaching program, seminar, workshop, conference, and other academic meetings. They also included lecturer, professional, and student visits; publication, academic material, and other information exchange; and tourism development.
Rector of Muhammadiyah Makassar University, Ambo Asse appreciated the cooperation of the two universities. He hopes that the cooperation will expand the Indonesian Language study program in Uzbekistan.
The Education and Culture Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra along with the Indonesian Academics and Researchers Network Australia (IARNA) brought together Indonesian and Australian researchers in a webinar themed “Recent Update on 3D Printing Technology for Concrete.” The webinar which took place in Canberra on Friday (25/1) was attended by Prof. Jay Sanjayan from Swinburne University of Technology and Associate Prof. Sotya Astutiningsih from the University of Indonesia.
Education and Culture Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib in a written statement received on Saturday (26/1) explained that the purpose of the webinar is to facilitate communication between Indonesian and Australian researchers in the same field so that the collaboration can be carried out sustainably. The topic discussed in the webinar is the application of 3D printing technology in the construction industry, which is currently growing in Australia and Indonesia. Najib hopes that the event can encourage the transfer of knowledge and technology so that the research in Indonesia can develop rapidly and Indonesia can be parallel with Australia in the field of science and technology.
Director of Swinburne's Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, Jay Sanjayan said that 3D printing is a three-dimensional printer technology, which can create three-dimensional images on a computer and print in three dimensions. According to Jay, this technology has been applied to build bridges and buildings in various countries, such as in the UK, Italy, China and Australia.
While the lecturer at the University of Indonesia, Prof. Sotya Astutiningsih said that although in Indonesia, 3D printer technology is relatively new, currently there are startup companies, which have successfully used 3D printer technology to make type 36 landed house buildings. She added that the challenges of using 3D printing technology in Indonesia are the weather, because the hot temperature causes the cement to dry quickly and harden.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Chicago exhibited the beauty of Indonesian tourism at a travel exhibition in the city in collaboration with three diaspora entrepreneurs in the United States. The Consulate General in Chicago in a written statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/2) stated that the people of the United States showed a high desire to travel again based on a poll in 2022. It showed that 93.3 percent of respondents plan to travel within 1 year ahead.
Following up on the trend, the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago also participated in the 2022 Chicago and Travel Show exhibition which is one of the largest travel exhibition events in the United States with no less than 20,000 visitors annually. The Consulate also stated that at the event, the Indonesian booth was filled with two travel agents namely BaliDia & Voyage2Paradise and batik shop My Batik Shop. Indonesian booths were decorated with handmade decorations, particularly imported ones from Indonesia. The Indonesian Consul General in Chicago, Meri Binsar Simorangkir explained that the event provides a good opportunity to promote Indonesia, particularly with the reopening of Bali and the Riau Islands for foreign tourists.
According to the Indonesian Consulate General's report, the visitors who came to the Indonesian booth asked a lot of questions, particularly related to entry requirements to Indonesia, the type of visa needed, and the type of hotel for quarantine. The visitors also chose various Indonesian souvenirs, such as silver jewelry, home decoration, coconut shells, and batik of various colors brought from Indonesia.
The Indonesian people took part in the 38th National Day parade of Brunei Darussalam. The participation was represented by the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in collaboration with the Indonesian Community Association (PERMAI).The Indonesian Embassy in Brunei in Darussalam in its Press Statement received by Antara stated that there were participants who wore 12 traditional clothes from many provinces in Indonesia. Then, 24 participants also wore black and brown batik uniforms. The parade was led by PERMAI Chairman, Mukhidin Umar. The delegates walked for 400 meters across the streets of the capital to Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien to pay their respects to Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the royal family as well as high officials of Brunei Darussalam in the field grandstand.
The parade was also attended by Head of Foreign Representatives in Brunei Darussalam, including Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Sujatmiko. Ambassador Sujatmiko expressed his pride to the Indonesian community who annually celebrates the National Day Parade of Brunei Darussalam, and also performs the richness of Indonesian culture through the various traditional clothes that they wore.
The National Day or better known as National Guard is an annual parade event held to celebrate Brunei Darussalam's National Day which is commemorated every 23rd February. Based on the health protocol applied in Brunei Darussalam, this year's parade was held on a smaller scale than the previous one. This year's parade was attended by 161 groups or delegations with a total number of 3,800 participants, consisting of military, government, private, schools and community groups both local and foreign participants. The restriction on participants also affected the number of participants with a total of 36 Indonesian people. Apart from Indonesia, the foreign communities who participated in this year's parade were communities from Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and India.
In the early 20th century, Indonesia was the leader of the world's largest Indigo blue natural dye market. Because Indonesia has abundant natural wealth which is the raw material for natural dyes, and until now, this potential has not been utilized properly. In fact, almost all regions in Indonesia have a culture of using natural dyes and natural resources as raw materials for natural dyes. Now, it is estimated that more than 90% of textile craftsmen and industries in Indonesia still use synthetic dyes in producing their textile products. In fact, the raw materials for synthetic dyes are imported with a large capacity and very high value. There are synthetic dyes that are carcinogenic and very dangerous for users, and the environment.
With this problem, the UGM research team, who are members of the Indonesia Natural Dye Institute research group at Universitas Gadjah Mada (INDI-UGM) undertook a downstream program for natural dye prototypes. They built a natural dye production site from the waste of the Merbau wood industry in Jayapura, Papua. Sawdust from Merbau wood has the potential to be used as a source of raw material for the natural dye industry.
Head of the INDI UGM team, Edia Rahayuningsih said that the waste from forest products in Papua could reach 20-40% of the total mass of trees. Unfortunately, this waste has not been used optimally, and is usually thrown into the environment or burned so that it becomes a problem in the environment. Therefore, her side has produced a tool for processing the natural powder which is managed by CV Karui Jayapura. Apart from raw materials for Merbau in Papua, according to Edia, natural dyes can also be made from raw materials derived from indigofera plants, cocoa waste, palm oil waste, and mangrove bark waste.
Lecturer of Airlangga University, Niko Azhari Hidayat developed a digital health service or Telemedicine, Vascular Indonesia. The Indonesian Vascular Telemedicine Service is a part of the Indonesian Telemedicine Association to support the activities of the Ministry of Health in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. This thoracic cardiac and vascular surgeon said that the Vascular Indonesia platform consists of a Triage room that aims to identify patients early. In addition, there is also a Vascular Indonesia Care Unit service to monitor complaints and symptoms of self-isolated patients. This service is intended for patients who have uploaded e-recipes. In addition to monitoring patients remotely, the team of doctors at Vascular Indonesia also regularly holds webinars containing educational materials and guidelines on how to maintain a good immune system when undergoing self-isolation.
To get digital health service or Telemedicine, Vascular Indonesia, self-isolated patients who have previously carried out PCR tests in laboratories affiliated with the Ministry of Health, will receive an automatic message containing the option to undergo telemedicine services. By choosing the Vascular Indonesia telemedicine service, the patient can immediately consult the doctor on duty. The Vascular Indonesia telemedicine service is free for patients who are confirmed positive for Covid-19. Telemedicine services consist of volunteers, 36 general practitioners, and 20 specialists. This service is to help patients who are exposed to Covid-19 to perform self-isolation, and to suppress the spike in the Covid-19 trend in recent weeks.
Dr. Niko is not a new figure in the world of digital health. With a doctorate in thoracic cardiac and vascular surgery specialist, he developed the Foot-Diabet Indonesia application in 2019. The social impact application is a means of education and prevention from the dangers of diabetic foot. In addition, the man who had a clinical fellowship education at the University Medical Centrum Utrecht, The Netherlands, and earned the title of a vascular and endovascular consultant is also one of the initiators of the Indonesian Varicose Vein application, an online innovation service in the form of a program called the Vascular Indonesia Health Travel Program.
Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Fadjroel Rachman handed over a credential letter to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kasyim Jomart Tokayev in Nur-Sultan City on Monday (21/2). The ceremony for the handover of the credential letter was solemn and smooth while adhering to the health protocols amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This was the written statement from the Indonesian Embassy- Nur-Sultan received by Antara onTuesday (22/2).
During the meeting, Ambassador Fadjroel conveyed greetings from President Joko Widodo to President Kasyim Jomart Tokayev. He also explained about the diplomatic efforts that will be carried out while serving in Kazakhstan, namely increasing cooperation in all fields, including economic diplomacy about 70 to 80 percent. On the same occasion, Ambassador Fadjroel also explained about efforts to further intensify the presence of Pencak Silat culture in Kazakhstan. Over the last four years, Pencak Silat has developed very rapidly in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Pencak Silat Association has already existed in 12 regions out of 14 regions in that country.
On that occasion, President Tokayev congratulated the official start of the assignment in Kazakhstan, as well as the support from the government of Kazakhstan to Ambassador Fadjroel Rachman in carrying out his duties while in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, President Tokayev also said that Indonesia is an inseparable part of foreign policy of Kazakhstan. According to President Tokayev, Indonesia is a partner country of Kazakhstan, which has good relations bilaterally and multilaterally. In addition, President Tokayev also congratulated Indonesia on holding the G20 Presidency.
At the end of the letter submission ceremony, Ambassador Fadjroel conveyed greetings from the Indonesian people to the government and people of Kazakhstan and he hopes for an official visit between the leaders of both countries.
Indonesian Ambassador to Italy, Muhammad Prakosa handed over a credential letter to Italian President, Sergio Mattarella at the Italian Presidential Palace Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, Italy Friday (18/2). The Indonesian Embassy Rome in its statement received in Jakarta on Monday (21/2) stated that Ambassador Muhammad Prakosa serves as ambassador to Italy, Malta, Cyprus and San Marino as well as several international organizations, such as Food and Agriculture Organization/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) , World Food Program (WFP) and International Institute for the Unification of Private Law; French: Institut international pour l'unification du droit privé (UNIDORIT).
During the handover ceremony, Ambassador Prakosa conveyed his greetings from Indonesian President Joko Widodo and all Indonesian people to President Sergio Mattarella and all Italian people. Ambassador Prakosa also congratulated the inauguration of President Sergio Mattarella for the second time in early February 2022. Moreover, Ambassador Prakosa conveyed his commitment to continuously improve bilateral relations between Indonesia and Italy in all fields and expand the diversification of trade, investment and tourism relations. Furthermore, he also wants to improve the quality of protection of Indonesian citizens by strengthening relations with Italian authorities.
Ambassador Prakosa also explained the theme of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, namely "Recover Together, Recover Stronger" with three priority issues: global health architecture, digital transformation and sustainable energy transition.
Meanwhile, Italian President Sergio Mattarella stated that he was very impressed by the diversity and harmony of religious communities in Indonesia. He also said that Indonesia and Italy have good economic and trade relations. President Mattarella further stated that Italy is ready and open to always support lots of efforts to strengthen relations of both countries in all fields.