VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate, reminded the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Portugal that have existed for more than half a century.

"We hope that the relationship can be more productive even though the distance between the two countries is very far," he said, Sunday (9/25/2022).

This was conveyed during a working visit to Portugal. Johnny also held a meeting with Indonesian citizens living in the country, at the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon.

"It is my dream and hope that Indonesia and Portugal can maintain close relations in the future," he said. Both at the government level and the people.

Johnny told the history of the formation of bilateral relations between the two countries. That is, starting from the beginning, Indonesia declared its sovereignty as a state.

The Portuguese government established its representative office in Indonesia on May 13, 1950. Relations between the two countries have been strengthened and productive since 1999.

Then in 2010, Indonesia and Portugal made a new initiative by establishing a bilateral consultation forum. This happened at a meeting between Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the United Nations (UN) forum.

Johnny tells that Indonesia and Portugal have a close relationship considering the introduction of culture. Around 1511, Portuguese explorers visited the forerunner area of ​​Indonesia, namely the Archipelago.

"The culture introduced is in the form of language, music, religious practices, and historical architecture," he said. According to the Minister, this is an important asset for Indonesia-Portugal bilateral relations in the future.

One form of cooperation between Indonesia and Portugal is through socio-cultural relations. For example, the signing of the sister city cooperation between Sikka Regency in Flores and Lagos Algavre City in 2007.

Then in May 2012, a similar collaboration was established between Larantuka, East Flores Regency and Fatima, Ourem District. Johnny assessed that efforts to strengthen the cooperation were very important given the close historical ties.

"This has been established since the departure of Portuguese sailors from Indonesia 500 years ago," he said. In this context, the Minister hopes that in the future other models of twin city cooperation can be established.

Johnny then gave the example of Labuan Bajo, one of Indonesia's priority tourist destinations on the island of Flores. "It could be a twin city with one of the cities in Portugal such as Oporto, Evora, or Braga," he said. (RRI)