VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Christian Dior chose Balinese Endek material for its Spring-Summer 2021 collection, which is exhibited at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday at Jardin des Tuileries, Paris.

"The use of Balinese Endek cloth for the Spring / Summer 2021 collection by Christian Dior is a high recognition of the beauty and quality of Endek Bali fabrics and contributes positively to the international fashion world. Hopefully, this will be an encouragement for people in Bali amidst the challenges of COVID-19," Arrmanatha Nasir, Indonesian ambassador to France said after watching the Christian Dior Fashion Show, according to a written statement in Jakarta, on Wednesday. 

Christian Dior Couture Artistic Director, Maria Grazua Chiuri, uses Balinese Endek not only for clothing collections but also for Christian Dior bag collections for the Spring-Summer 2021 collection. 

Chiuri said that Christian Dior's inspiration to use the Balinese Endek was because she wanted to raise the value of culture and handicraft work, especially by women weavers.

Chiuri said that based on the research conducted by Christian Dior's team, the Balinese Endek cloth is a cultural value that is very suitable for the work that Christian Dior wants to raise. As recognition of the weavers in Bali, Christian Dior plans to include the area of ​​origin of the Endek cloth on its clothing label.

Christian Dior expressed its appreciation to the Government of Indonesia for supporting the use of the Endek cloth as part of its latest collection. The Indonesian Embassy in Paris and the Christian Dior team worked closely to ensure that the use of the Endek cloth was under the rules of Balinese culture and customs.

The Bali Government supports the use of the Balinese Endek cloth and asks Christian Dior to fully respect the intellectual property rights (HAKI) of the Endek cloth, and the Endek cloth used must be originally produced in Bali.

"We give our high appreciation for the support and fast movement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Economic Recovery Acceleration Team and the Governor of Bali and his team so that Christian Dior has full support for using Endek Bali cloth for his collection," Arrmanatha said. 

This year's Paris Fashion Week is held on Sep. 2 to Oct. 6. The event observes health protocols and invites limited participants. (Antaranews)

The Chinese Consul General in Denpasar, Zhu Xinglong, said he was ready to bridge the country's cooperation with Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara to fight COVID-19 and also encourage economic recovery through cooperation in tourism and other fields.

"Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the people of China and Indonesia have been cooperating to help each other and the friendship between the two countries has also grown closer. President Xi Jinping has made three phone calls with President Joko Widodo regarding cooperation on pandemic control and economic recovery," he said in Denpasar, on Wednesday.

In a special interview about the 71 years of the establishment of the PRC and 70 years of diplomatic relations with Indonesia, he said that the government, companies, and all levels of society of the two countries are also engaged in providing medical equipment assistance and sharing experiences of pandemic prevention and control.

"The total value of aid from China has exceeded $10 million. China and Indonesia have also established a 'fast track' to start cooperation in vaccine development and purchase as we enter the new normal for prevention and control," he said. China prioritizes Indonesia on international vaccine cooperation and hopes that phase 3 clinical trials in Indonesia will run smoothly and achieve expected results.

"We also do not forget. In the early period of the pandemic, the Balinese people prayed for China and supported China in fighting this pandemic. The provincial government of Bali provided extraordinary policies and convenience for Hubei tourists. who chartered flights back to China and Chinese citizens who are still left behind and want to extend their visas. We sincerely thank you," he said.

"We can feel the conditions faced by Bali, therefore the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar and Chinese companies in Bali and the Provincial Government of Hainan, Guangdong Province have contributed medical equipment and necessities to the Balinese people," he said.

The Consul General emphasized that COVID-19 knows no national borders. The world is now a community with the same fate. The international community can only deal with this pandemic through solidarity and cooperation.

"China will continue to strengthen cooperation in terms of pandemic prevention and control with countries, including Indonesia, working together to win the war against this pandemic," he said. (Antaranews)

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto emphasized that defense cooperation between Indonesia and the Swedish royal government will have an impact on the development of the defense industry.

He hopes that the Indonesian Parliament can immediately approve the bill (RUU) on Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden regarding Cooperation in the Defense Sector.

"The ratification of this cooperation will have implications for cooperation in the defense sector, open up opportunities for Indonesia to develop the defense industry, intensify defense cooperation, lay a solid legal foundation for defense cooperation between the two countries," Prabowo said at the House of Representatives Commission I virtual meeting, on Wednesday.

The meeting discussed the Bill on Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden regarding Cooperation in the Defense Sector that was proposed by the government.

Prabowo believes that the ratification of the cooperation will have positive implications for the political aspects of the two countries, namely increasing and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Therefore, he hoped that it can encourage the strengthening of cooperation in other fields that are beneficial to the development and national interests of the two countries.

He explained that the defense cooperation between Indonesia and the Kingdom of Sweden includes seven points.

First, the exchange of information and experiences on issues of common interest related to political, military, and international maritime security issues.

"Second, exchange information and best practices, and promote cooperation between agencies of the two countries in the field of research and development of science and other related institutions," he said.

He explained, the third point, development of cooperation and exchange of experiences related to logistical support and maintenance on the basis of mutual benefit and agreement from the parties; fourth, support for the development of cooperation in the defense industry which includes technology transfer, joint research, joint production, joint marketing, and quality assurance.

Fifth, development and enhancement of military training at all levels including civilian personnel in the Ministry of Defense; sixth, the development of activities that lead to military medical and health activities; and seventh, other mutually agreed upon cooperation.

Prabowo said that based on Law No. 24 of 2000 on International Treaties, it is stated that the conditions for the entry into force of international agreements in the defense sector must be ratified in the form of laws.

For this reason, the Ministry of Defense submitted the bill to the DPR RI to get joint approval and the law would become the legal basis for any cooperation in the defense sector between the two countries. (Antaranews)

Indonesia shows social concern for Argentina amid the COVID-19 pandemic by providing sanitation tools and basic food assistance to the government of the Province of Buenos Aires.

The assistance is part of the "Indonesia Solidaria" program, which is an act of social awareness from the Indonesian Embassy in Buenos Aires to ease the burden on the Argentinean people affected by COVID-19, according to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Buenos Aires received in Jakarta, Wednesday.

"This solidarity is manifested by the Indonesian Government through the Indonesian Embassy in Buenos Aires, by providing assistance with sanitation tools, staple foods, and public kitchen operations," the Indonesian Ambassador for Argentina Niniek Kun Naryatie said.

Ambassador Niniek emphasized that the friendship between Indonesia and Argentina recognizes no geographical barriers, and the COVID-19 pandemic which has a tremendous impact requires every country to help.

"Indonesia is your friend, Indonesia is your brother, and the most important thing is Indonesia for you," Ambassador Niniek said when handing over sanitation tools and staple food aid to the government of the Province of Buenos Aires.

The pandemic had a socio-economic impact on Argentine society.

The unemployment rate in Argentina reached 26.7 percent and the poverty rate rose to 37.5 percent or 11 million people. In addition to sanitation and staple food assistance, the Indonesian Government through the Indonesian Embassy in Buenos Aires also finances the operation of two public kitchens in the city of Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, for five days from 28 September to 2 October 2020. 

Lanús is a buffer city for the capital city of Buenos Aires, with a population of 450 thousand people.

Since the pandemic, the industrial sector which is the mainstay of the city has also been sluggish. To survive, poor people rely on public kitchens owned by the government or local communities. They will wait in line to get a bowl of soup, pasta, or potatoes for lunch.

Since the pandemic, public kitchens were set up everywhere to feed tens of thousands of underprivileged people every day.
In his remarks, the Head of the Agency for Institutional and International Relations of the Province of Buenos Aires, Sofia Sternberg, expressed his gratitude and said that the assistance provided would be of great help to the people in the Province of Buenos Aires.

He also hoped that after the pandemic, between Indonesia and Argentina, especially with the Province of Buenos Aires. (Antaranews)