Indonesian embassy to organise 5-day cultural exhibition, says envoy

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan Adam Mulawarman Tugio on Sunday said the Indonesian embassy was going to organise a five-day cultural exhibition from July 20 to strengthen Religio-cultural and civilisational relations between Pakistan and Indonesia.

The exhibition will be jointly held by the Indonesian Embassy, Islamabad and Lok Virsa under the theme, “A Confluence of Civilisation Between Indonesia and Pakistan.”

The Indonesian Ambassador told APP that the purpose of the exhibition was to bring Pakistan and Indonesia closer culturally and to introduce the young generation with their heritage. “Pakistan and Indonesia are connected in historical religious and cultural relations which have deep roots in the history.”

Ambassador Adam said that Islam came to Indonesia through the efforts of South Asian spice traders who had been visiting the region for the purpose of trade for centuries.

Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country like Pakistan and there were wide opportunities for cultural and commercial integration between them, he added.

He stressed the need of promoting interfaith diplomacy in both the countries as it could help achieve the goal of improving mutual relations.

The envoy said Indonesia always valued its relationship with Pakistan and both countries enjoyed deep economic and trade relations. “There is an annual trade of $4 billion between the two countries, which needs to be increased further.”

He said Pakistan and Indonesia have had vast opportunities for the promotion of education whereas the latter awarded the most of its international scholarships to Pakistani students this year.

It is pertinent to mention here that the exhibition intends to feature the fusion of Indonesia-Pakistan’s cultural history and artworks through a selected collection of photographs and videos, which will shed light on the inter-regional connectivity and cross-cultural influence during the course of history of respective countries.

The exhibition aimed at offering fresh perspectives into historical connections, religious backgrounds, and the confluence of civilisation of both countries from the past to the present.