VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Ambassador to Tunisia, Zuhairi Misrawi has conveyed that  Indonesia and Tunisia have attractive trade market potential to be developed in the future.  Based on the statement from  the   Indonesian Embassy Tunis received in Jakarta on Wednesday (24/1),  according  to  Ambassador Zuhairi in his  statement, on one hand, Tunisia has a strategic location as a hub with European,  Arab,  and African countries and has free trade agreements with these countries.  On the other hand,  Indonesia is an important country in ASEAN and has good relations with ASEAN countries and other Asian countries. Therefore, economic diplomacy of both countries can be a bridge for market expansion.Moreover, Ambassador Zuhairi  has also said  if this can be materialized, it will provide benefits for both countries.  He also explained that  Indonesia-Tunisia economic diplomacy continues to improve. Thereby, it further reinforces bilateral relations between the two countries.Ambassador Zuhairi also stated that  bilateral relations between Indonesia and Tunisia have been built on a mutual desire to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation and respect for both parties. Trade cooperation is a top priority so that it can open up employment opportunities for both parties.Furthermore, Ambassador Zuhairi also emphasized  that the legal umbrella for a Preferential Trade Agreement agreement as a path to a Free Trade Agreement is needed amidst a steady increase in the volume of trade cooperation above US$200 million or around Rp3.1 trillion. Preferential Trade Agreement negotiations starting in 2018 must be immediately signed  so that the trading volume can reach a minimum of US$500 million US or around Rp7.8 trillion.In addition, the Indonesian Embassy in Tunis also reported,  Ambassador Zuhairi  attended a dialogue program on Tunisna TV in Tunisia last Wednesday.  The dialogue was held in order to deepen the follow-up to the bilateral visits of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi to Tunisia at the end of December 2023. In the dialogue,  Ambassador Zuhairi explained not only Indonesia-Tunisia economic diplomacy, but also the importance of increasing cooperation in the fields of tourism and education between the two countries.

Indonesia has a lot of great destinations with international recognition. One of them, Lake Toba in North Sumatera, is now recommended by the New York Times in the 52nd Places To Go in 2024. Issued in early January, the list has many tourism destinations of the world, curated by the experts. The curation considers sustainable travel and cultural events. Toba was number 24 on the list. The lake surrounded by eight regencies of North Sumatra is a super-priority destination of the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. The amazing Lake Toba's caldera became UNESCO's world tourism site in 2020. According to a research, Lake Toba's caldera resulted from three eruptions that began around 800.000 - 900.000 years ago. The final eruption 74,000 years ago formed the current caldera. In Lake Toba, tourists can enjoy both nature and the culture. Around Lake Toba, there are some traditional villages with people still carrying out the customs. Besides Lake Toba, there were also so many places recommended by the New York Times for this year. Adventurers might like the undersea world Hurghada, Egypt, but those who prefer serenity can go to Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world.

The Meras Gandrung Banyuwangi art performance was held again at the Taman Gantung Terakota (TGT) park, Banyuwangi, East Java province on 20 January  2024. This arts and cultural attraction is done regularly at the park. The  Sendratari Meras Gandrung is a colossal performance, which depicts the procession of a dancer's struggle in dealing with challenges and tests in order to "graduate" to becoming a Gandrung dancer. This performance is even more iconic because it is held at the park  with a panoramic view of hundreds of Terakota statues of gandrung dancers on three hectares of productive rice fields in the area of  Mount Ijen slopes. The ballet performed by passionate dancers ranging from children to adults was held at an amphitheater in the Terakota area. Gandrung Dance is a typical Banyuwangi dance. This dance was originally danced during the main harvest as an expression of gratitude for the harvest gained. The word Gandrung in the local language means “fascinated.” This meaning is aimed only at Dewi Sri, the Goddess of Rice, who has provided prosperity for society. That's why, this dance is performed after the harvest on a large scale, as a sign of gratitude to Dewi Sri. However, now this dance has become an entertainment art for the local community. Head of the Banyuwangi Culture and Tourism Service, Muhammad Yanuarto Bramuda explained that the Meras Gandrung performance at Taman Gantung Terakota park has become part of a popular tourist attraction. This attraction complements the tourist attraction in the Ijen Mountains area, which is famous for its Blue Fire. The performance of the Meras Gandrung Ballet is also part of a series of arts and culture activities held on a scheduled basis for 2024. In January, February and March the Meras Gandrung Ballet performance is held free of charge for TGT visitors. Meanwhile, for the January schedule itself, the performance was held on Saturday, January 20 2024, at 2 PM (Western Indonesia Time) at Taman Gantung Terakota park.

The Indonesian Embassy  Canberra on Tuesday launched the 'Kawan Ngobrol' program to facilitate students of Indonesian for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) in Australia. According to the Education and Culture Attaché (Atdikbud)  of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib in a release from the Indonesian Embassy received in Jakarta on Tuesday (23/1) the program aims at providing space and friends for the people of Canberra who want to learn Indonesian language. Najib explained/ like friends, the 'Kawan Ngobrol' program provides comfort for BIPA students to chat without  being stressed like if you are studying in class.  Najib also explained that although there are quite a lot of Indonesian language learners, it doesn't mean there are no obstacles in learning it. One of the challenges is finding a community that can help you practice what you have learned.This program, which is held every month, brings together BIPA students in Canberra with native Indonesian speakers that make the students able to chat casually and improve their conversation skills, as well as forming a language community in the region. Apart from pupils and university students, this program can also be participated by  Australian citizens who worked or lived in Indonesia and want to maintain their Indonesian language skills. One of the citizens, Steve, who served in Indonesia for two years, admitted that he couldn't find anyone to practice Indonesian with, so he forgot a lot of words.Therefore, he is happy with the 'Kawan Ngobrol' program and he will often come according to the specified schedule. Steve is not the only Australians who are interested. Phil Domaschenz, who  worked in Jakarta for a year feels that he misses speaking Indonesian, and hopes that this program can cure his longing.Currently, there are 16 schools and 2 universities in Canberra that provide Indonesian language lessons. The two universities are the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales Canberra campus.  Besides that there are non-school institutions and campuses that also offer Indonesian language classes for adult people such as the Australia-Indonesia Association. The 'Kawan Ngobrol' raised the theme of Indonesian food, where everyone told their favorite Indonesian food. One of the participants named Damian was even able to explain various types of fried rice in Indonesia, as well typical food tastes that differ across regions in Indonesia// that’s Diplomatic Corner.