Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi Welcomes 70 Years of Indonesia-India

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in New Delhi is preparing some activities to commemorate 70 years of Indonesia-India diplomatic relations in 2019.

The series of activities initiated, among others, photo exhibition and book writing that will show the closeness of the relationship between the two countries.

Indonesian Ambassador to India Sidharto R Suryodipuro in Jakarta, Monday (5/28/2018), said that Indonesia and India are not only celebrating the numbers and changes that have happened both in each country and in the bilateral context, but also the optimism on the relationship in future.

"We must not forget the role of India in the struggle for Indonesian independence," he said again.

India, according to Ambassador Arto, is the most important country in Indonesia's struggle for independence, considering India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru providing personal support and bringing his country to support Indonesia.

In 1947, Nehru, who was close to the first President of the Republic of Indonesia Soekarno, organized an Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi to gather support for Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq to urge the Dutch out of the territory of Indonesia.

India also became one of the five countries hosting the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in April 1955 aimed at promoting economic and cultural cooperation between Asian and African countries, and against Western colonialism.

According to Ambassador Arto, Indonesia-India relations are important to be remembered because Indonesia's interest in India is wide and varied.

"I also want to see a higher awareness in Indonesia about India, because this is an important country that should not just be a 'blind spot' in our 'awareness', so we should invest more in this bilateral relationship," he said.

Next year, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi is also planning to enliven the annual Bali Yatra Festival held in the Indian state of Odisha in November to commemorate the ancient sailors traveling across Sri Lanka, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and ending in Bali for trade expansion and culture.

In addition to a series of art performances and culinary fairs, the festival is also commemorated by Indian citizens by sweeping a toy boat made of colored or cork paper in the Mahanadi River. (Ant)