VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia`s coffee was promoted during the 2018 Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) held at the Hanoi International Center for Exhibition. The country`s pavilion located in Hall B1 was quite crowded with visitors looking for information on Indonesian tourist destinations and those wanting to taste Nusantara coffee, Heri Hermawan, head of the Marketing Area IV covering Indochina region of the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, said in Hanoi, Sunday. The ministry always promotes Indonesia`s coffee while participating in travel marts in various countries such in India, Spain, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea.

"Indonesia`s coffee stand always becomes an attraction for visitors, in addition to a replica of Pinisi Nusantara boat displayed in front of Indonesia`s pavilion," he said.

Indonesian barista Grammy Marella Averil of Home Coffee Roastery in Solo served coffee up to 300 visitors per day during the Vietnam Travel Mart. The 29-year old Averil offered four kinds of coffee - Aceh Gayo, Toraja, Mandailing and Sidikalang, to coffee lovers in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry has set a target of attracting at least 74 thousand Vietnamese tourists in 2018, or up from 64 thousand in 2017.

"The target of receiving 74 thousand Vietnamese tourists is most likely achievable, as Vietnam has enjoyed high economic growth over the last 10 years," Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi informed ANTARA News on the sidelines of the VITM 2018.

The number of rich people in Vietnam has increased, and several of them are interested in traveling abroad, he noted. However, traveling to Indonesia from Hanoi is problematic due to the absence of direct flights.

"This issue of lack of accessibility has led to Vietnamese people opting to go for holidays in Thailand, Malaysia, China, Japan, and Hong Kong," he stated.

Indonesia sent seven travel bureaus from Bali and Yogyakarta to participate in the VITM held from March 29 to April 1, 2018. ( antara )

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would submit the result of its study on Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train by the end of April, postponed from its initial schedule in March.

"The study conducted by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BBPT) and JICA has entered its final stage. We hope that we could finalize the study in March and JICA could submit its study in April," the Director General of Railway of the Transportation Ministry,  Zulfikri said here on Tuesday.

He stated that the ministry would synchronize the results of the two studies, especially on investment value.

"Now, the amount is still changing, because it is not a small investment," he noted.

The ministry, according to Zulfikri, is still evaluating the plan to include foreign private firms in the project, in this case Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

"We are still sorting out the scheme we could offer, the construction, maintenance, or investment in facility, and its operation," he remarked.

However, the involvement of JBIC in the project would not change the initial cooperation scheme from government-to-government to business-to-business scheme.

"This is because the initiation from Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a G-to-G cooperation," he added.

The Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train project would need a total investment of Rp60 trillion (US$4.4 billion), including Rp20 trillion ($1.5 billion) for construction of 900 level crossings. Both governments have agreed to use narrow railway (gauge 1,067 millimeters) and standard railway (gauge 1,431 millimeters) to adjust with the land characteristic in Java, which is already crowded. The high-speed train would cut short Jakarta-Surabaya travel time from 9 hours to 5.5 hours. ( antara ) 

Indonesian House of Representatives` delegation, a member of the Drafting Committee on Emergency Issues representing the Asia-Pacific, delivered a resolution on Trump administration`s decision on Jerusalem as Israel`s capital at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Session. According to a statement received by ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday ( 27 March ), Bara Krishna Hasibuan, a member of the Indonesian House`s delegation, had attended a session to discuss the draft resolution that was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday (26 March).

"As a consistent member of the IPU fighting for Palestinian independence, Indonesia has an obligation to be actively involved in drafting the IPU resolution that reaffirms the rejection of the US` decision on Jerusalem," Hasibuan emphasized.

According to Hasibuan, Indonesia`s election as a representative of the Asia-Pacific countries demonstrates international recognition of its strategic role in solving global issues.

"I am honored to represent the Asia-Pacific and Indonesian parliaments, especially in the drafting of this resolution," the politician noted.

The draft specifically addresses the IPU`s responses to the US` decision on the status of Jerusalem and the basic rights of the Palestinian people. Hasibuan explained that the draft comprises five points in the preamble and 10 points in a resolution that essentially contains a strong condemnation of the US` decision that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The draft also encompasses support for Palestinians in defending their basic rights, including the right to Jerusalem.

"The resolution also confirms that the unilateral decision on Jerusalem is contrary to several UN resolutions and international laws," Hasibuan stressed.

The Drafting Committee also accepted the Indonesian proposal, submitted by Hasibuan, which encouraged Israel and Palestine to return to the peace process under an international framework to achieve a two-state solution based on territorial boundaries prevailing before the war between Israel and Arab countries in 1967.

"The acceptance of this proposal is a concrete contribution of Indonesia in pushing the world`s parliaments to unite and seek a permanent solution to achieve a comprehensive solution to the problem of Palestine`s status, specifically with regard to Jerusalem," Hasibuan remarked.

Trump`s statement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was delivered during a speech at the White House on December 6, 2017. ( antara ) 

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla opened the National Coordination Meeting of Library in Jakarta on Monday (26/3). On the occasion, Vice President Jusuf Kalla also launched the Digital library of Indonesian Vice President. In his speech, Jusuf Kalla said that the meeting becomes a mutual step to improve reading habit of Indonesian people, along with the development of digital technology.

“In this opportunity, the National Coordination Meeting, not only offer the book, but how to read the digital book. Currently the world has changed rapidly. Because the speed and knowledge cannot be separated from digitalization,” Jusuf Kalla said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla asked the National Library to increase socialization widely, especially in the digital era. This is followed by the digital library capacity that has not been utilized yet by the community. The socialization is needed to increase people’s reading interest through digital library. In the meeting, Vice President Jusuf Kalla also launched Digital library of Indonesian Vice President namely ‘Wapres Library’ and can be accessed through Play Store Android. (KBRN/Rizki/Trs.yati /NT)