Strengthening Cooperation on Cultural and Humanity, Indonesia and Lebanon Sign Agreement

FU. Tripoli, Lebanon – Indonesia and Lebanon today, Friday, 17 February 2023, signed a protocol on cooperation between the two nations in the fields of culture and humanity. The signing of the collaboration was carried out at the Tripoli Cultural Association Office, Lebanon, at around 12.00 local time.

At the official meeting between the two countries, Indonesia was represented by the Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon, Hajriyanto Thohari, while Lebanon was represented by the President of the Tripoli Cultural Association, Dr. Ramez Al-Ferri. The meeting of the two Indonesian-Lebanese delegations was warm and full of friendship.

Ambassador Hajriyanto Thohari told reporters that Indonesia was ready to assist Lebanon in various fields according to the needs of its citizens. “In addition to the cultural sector, we are also ready to send ‘Tapak Suci’ pencak silat trainers to Lebanon to provide training in this martial arts field. Indonesia will also send expatriates in the disaster field to help provide disaster knowledge and insight to the Lebanese people so that when a disaster occurs, they are better prepared to deal with it,” he explained in a press conference held after the meeting.

Indonesia also encourages cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, student exchanges through the provision of scholarships, mutual visits by community leaders of the two nations, and in the tourism sector. “Indonesia provides scholarships for prospective Lebanese students who are interested in continuing their studies in Indonesia, but so far this has not been fulfilled as expected. Hopefully in the future this program can attract more Lebanese students to Indonesia,” added the Golkar politician who served as Deputy Chair of the MPR RI for the 2009-2014 period.

In order to improve cooperative relations in the information sector, said Ambassador Hajriyanto Thohari, his party would also seek to send Indonesian journalists to Lebanon. “We will try to send journalists to Lebanon so that they can see firsthand the conditions and circumstances and the way of life of the Lebanese people in order to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries,” he said in front of the President of Tripoli Cultural Association, Dr. Ramez Al-Ferri, and his team.

The agenda for this bilateral meeting was also marked by the gift of books by the Indonesian Ambassador to become references for Lebanese readers. No less than 100 books of various titles and themes were submitted to the library at the Office of the Tripoli Cultural Association. Hajriyanto Thohari also handed over the angklung musical instrument and several objects of original Indonesian art and culture to the institution.

This article was written based on the results of direct monitoring by the KOPI Editorial to the meeting place at the Tripoli Cultural Association Building via the online Video Call channel with the Lebanese PPWI Representative, Dr. Abdul Rahman Dabboussi. (APL/Ed)