VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

South Sumatra has been trusted yet again to host the international bowling championship at Jakabaring Sport City, Palembang, from November 16 to 24, 2019, after it previously hosted the championship in 1980.

The Governor of South Sumatra, Herman Deru, in Palembang on Wednesday, said that the local government had received members of the Indonesian bowling association over its readiness to host the world championship.

"South Sumatra is ready to host the international championship as the Jakabaring Sport City has a bowling venue that meets international standards," Herman Daru remarked.

The last championship was held in Las Vegas, United States, two years ago. According to the regulation, he noted that each country was limited to sending one male and one female athlete.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Bowling Association (PBI) Percha Leanpuri stated that hundreds of athletes from dozens of countries would attend the competition.

At least 75 countries will participate in the international bowling championship.

"The competition is expected to see 150 participants," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of South Sumatra Bowling Association, Kurmin Halim, mentioned that the association would intensify promotions abroad, both in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, hoping that that the number of participating countries would increase.

If the number of participants increases, Indonesia can break the record for the highest number of participants, a title previously held by Singapore.

"We want to break Singapore's record of 98 participating countries," he concluded. (ant)

The United Nations Security Council chaired by the Indonesian Foreign Minister as the President of the UN Security Council for May 2019, this time took place uniquely. The UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting room today was enlivened by a variety of batik and woven motifs worn by Delegates from various countries. No exception in this case is the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who uses a brightly colored troso weaving motif.

The choice of batik as a dress code for the Security Council session is a form of respect for members of the UN Security Council who hold the Presidency of the UN Security Council for May 2019.

The various batik worn by the  SC delegates today are their individual collections. A number of delegates collected the batik not only from gifts from the Indonesian delegation in New York, or when they became chairmen of delegations at conferences in Indonesia, but also there were those who bought it themselves during a visit to Indonesia.

Besides the Secretary General of the United Nations, other delegates who were seen using batik included the United States, Germany, Ivory Coast, France, Peru, Dominican Republic, and China. "It is very nice that in today's hearing it is beautiful and colorful, because most members of the UN Security Council wear batik, including the Secretary General of the United Nations, wearing weaving from Bali," said Foreign Minister Retno.

The use of batik in the UNSC Session is expected to increasingly popularize batik which has now been recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage.

The Open Debate meeting with the theme "Sowing the Seeds of Peace" carried out Tuesday ( 7/5 ) was aimed at continuing to encourage the capacity building of the Peacekeeping Forces in various missions around the world. This meeting is one of Indonesia's priority agenda as long as it is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2019-2020. (kemenlu)

The Vice President, M. Jusuf Kalla today on May 7, 2019 received an official visit from Argentine Vice President Gabriella Michetti at the Vice President's Palace, in Jakarta.

 This was Vice President Argentina's first visit to Indonesia since the opening of diplomatic relations on 30 June 1956. In addition to the Argentine Ambassador in Jakarta, Ricardo Bocolandro, several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Argentine Trade Ministry also participated in the meeting with Kalla .

In this meeting, the two Vice President agreed to increase cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and agriculture. Vice President Kalla explained that Argentina is the second largest trading partner for Indonesia in the South American Region and Indonesia wants to continue to increase trade with Argentina.

In 2018, the total trade between the two countries reached US $1.68 billion, with a deficit reaching 1.2 billion on the Indonesian side. "I encourage that we can achieve a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade," said Vice President Kalla.

To achieve this, Indonesia offers Indonesia's strategic industrial products, namely aircraft produced by PT. Indonesian Aerospace. In addition, Vice President Kalla also requested that Argentina continue to reduce various trade barriers both tariffs and non-tariffs. In order to balance the trade balance, the Vice President requested market access for Indonesian fruits, such as tropical fruit and beans which are competitive in the Argentine market.

To improve trade relations, Vice President Kalla invited Argentine businessmen to attend the Indonesia-Latin American and the Caribbean Business Forum and Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) activities.

In agriculture, Indonesia and Argentina have established a Working Group on Agricultural Cooperation (WGAC) which has produced a collaborative action plan. In this field, Indonesia wants to develop cooperation related to the development of agricultural technology systems.

This was welcomed by Vice President Michetti who acknowledged the enormous potential of cooperation in the field of trade and investment, and wished to translate this potential into a form of strategic cooperation.

In particular, Vice President Michetti wishes to encourage technical cooperation within the framework of South-South cooperation. The Vice President believes that technical cooperation between the two countries can be a door to greater cooperation. Vice President Michetti also expressed his desire to cooperate with Indonesia in the halal food industry sector.

During this visit, Vice President Michetti will also hold a meeting with Indonesian businessmen to further explore the potential of cooperation.

Other topics which were also discussed during the visit of the Vice President of Argentina included empowerment and policies related to persons with disabilities. The Vice President of Argentina is scheduled to meet with the Indonesian community of persons with disabilities at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office on May 8, 2019. The Vice President of Argentina invited Indonesia to participate in the High Disability Summit, Disability Summit, which will take place in Buenos Aires from 6-8 June 2019. (kemenlu)

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia has received the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Y.M. Marianne Hagen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta (05/5/2019). The two Vice Ministers focus on priority areas of the two countries, namely the environment and forestry, energy, maritime affairs and fisheries and human rights.

Deputy Foreign Minister Fachir stressed the need to be encouraged by the interaction of Indonesian and Norwegian business circles to increase the value of trade and investment which is still below the economic potential of the two countries. Both Vice Minister Fachir and Hagen also agreed that a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement between Indonesia and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), or what is known as IE-CEPA, became an important instrument to encourage economic relations and cooperation between the two countries . Both Vice Ministers hope that the ratification process in each country can be completed as soon as possible.

Vice Minister Fachir and Hagen RI also discussed issues regarding Myanmar, the multilateral trading system (WTO), and gender mainstreaming within the framework of peacemaking.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hagen congratulated Indonesia on the success of the General Election simultaneously in April 2019. Simultaneous elections in Indonesia are seen as one of the elections with the most complex process, but can be held relatively well, becoming evidence of Indonesia as a champion of democracy. (source: Directorate of Europe II, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)