LAKE SENTANI FESTIVAL EXPECTED TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS by Fardah

    Jakarta, June 21, 2014 (Antara) - The Seventh Lake Sentani Festival is currently going on in Kalkhote,  Sentani, Jayapura District, Papua Province, from June 19 to 23, 2014, to promote tourism in Papua and preserve the local culture and arts.

        "I am pleased to welcome the implementation of the Lake Sentani Festival. Hopefully, this event will attract more domestic and foreign tourists to Papua and West Papua provinces, and help preserve as well as promote Indonesia's art and cultural heritage existing in Papua,"  Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said on June 19 when officially inaugurated the annual festival in Sentani, Jayapura.   

INDONESIA COMMITTED TO DEEPEN, STRENGTHEN TIES WITH PACIFIC NATIONS by Fardah

   Jakarta, June 20,  2014 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, during the first ever visit by Indonesian presidents to Fiji and the South Pacific region, expressed his commitment to deepening and strengthening relations with countries in the region.

        He paid a working visit to Fiji from June 17 to 19, 2014, and attended the Second Summit of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) as chief guest at the invitation of the Fijian government.
   Indonesia has established diplomatic relations with almost all Pacific Island countries, based on equality, mutual respect for each other's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA, ONCE GOOD FRIENDS, ALWAYS BE GOOD FRIENDS by Fardah

     Jakarta, June 19, 2014 (Antara) - Indonesia and its immediate neighbor Australia have always had an exciting relationship, as the two countries are very friendly with each other, need each other, but sometimes they quarrel.

         The latest example of a diplomatic rift between the two countries occurred last year, following revelations of illegal wiretapping conducted by Australian surveillance agencies targeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his inner circle and the First Lady. 
    Indonesia strongly protested the spying and recalled its ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema in November 2013. But, six months later, the ambassador returned to Canberra, indicating that the bilateral relations between the two neighbors have normalized.

BALI MOVES FORWARD TO ACHIEVE RABIES-FREE TARGET by Fardah

  Jakarta, June 18, 2014 (Antara) -   Bali animal health office has vaccinated almost half of the island's dog population in the mass vaccination program against rabies this year, which is the fifth program being carried out on the island since 2010.

         The ongoing mass vaccination program in Bali has covered around 45 percent of the total dog population in the island so far. Till June 9, vaccination had been given to at least 160 thousand dogs of the total 350 thousand dogs to be targeted this year, Putu Sumantra, the head of the Balinese animal husbandry and animal health office, stated in Denpasar, Bali, recently.

         In Denpasar alone, the target of the program is 55 thousand dogs this year. Last year, 53 thousand dogs were vaccinated in the capital of Bali.

MILITARY, POLICE PLEDGE TO REMAIN NEUTRAL DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION by Fardah

     Jakarta, June 10, 2014 (Antara) - Since the beginning, the Indonesian military and police chiefs have expressed their commitment to remain neutral in the legislative and presidential elections of this year, and so far they have kept their promise.

         Indonesia had organized legislative elections throughout the country on April 9, 2014, peacefully and freely, without experiencing any serious security disturbance partly due to the security measures taken by the military and police forces.

INDONESIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHOWCASES COUNTRY'S DIVIDE by Fardah

 Jakarta, June 6, 2014 (Antara) - Never before in Indonesia's history has the country been so clearly divided before the presidential election scheduled on July 9, 2014.

        The media, labor unions, retired military and police generals, street vendors, artists, NGO activists, fishermen, migrant workers, and governors, to name a few, all are divided in supporting only two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla.

INDONESIAN, AUSTRALIAN TIES NORMALIZE AFTER AMBASSADOR'S RETURN TO CANBERRA

Jakarta, June 2, 2014 (Antara) - Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Nadjib Riphat Kesoema has "quietly" returned to Canberra after he was recalled by the Indonesian government in November 2013, indicating that the bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries have normalized.          Ambassador Kesoema and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop spoke over the phone upon his arrival, and they went a step further when they met in person at the parliament house in Canberra on May 28, 2014, according to Australian media.