The Indonesian Embassy in Baku has held a diplomatic reception to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day and 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The reception was attended by Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Inam Karimov, foreign ambassadors in Baku and the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Government of Azerbaijan, representatives from private sector, media, Indonesian community in Azerbaijan and friends of Indonesia.

The event began with listening both countries national anthem and continued with remarks from the Indonesian Ambassador and Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov.

Ambassador Hildi Hamid in his remark highlighted the good bilateral relations between Indonesia and Azerbaijan, throughout the past 30 years.

“This year our two brother countries mark 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Indonesia. Our 30 years of bilateral relations are time tested and ever growing. We have progressed from strength to strength with each passing year and fortified our relationship over the last two decades, which resulted in unprecedented successes.”

Regarding Indonesia - Azerbaijan bilateral relationship, the ambassador also added that in recent years, the two countries have even intensified their cooperation. Trade volume is rising, the reciprocal visits between the two countries is also increasing. Business forums held in Baku to promote business opportunities, make a special contribution to the further expansion of bilateral economic and trade relations. Indonesia also has strong commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Minister Inam Karimov also delivered remarks to congratulate Indonesia Independence day and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also underlined the strong bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of economy, trade and within international organization. Azerbaijan also express its gratitude for Indonesia’s support and solidarity within international framework.

“Azerbaijan and Indonesia are countries with beautiful cities, rich nature, ancient history and culture. We also attach importance to the strengthening of friendly relations between our peoples and the integration of our cultures. These advantages further increase our tourism potential and make it necessary to deepen our cooperation in the relevant field,” said the minister.

The auspicious ceremony was then followed by cultural performances which featured traditional music performances such as Angklung, Talempong and Sape as well as various traditional dances. In this occasion, five traditional Indonesian dances, namely Indang (West Sumatra), Engang (Kalimantan), Ondel-ondel (Jakarta), Topeng and Puspanjali (Bali) were well-performed by Indonesian dancer and Azerbaijani students who are the alumni of Indonesian scholarship.

The audience was very impressed to witness the attractive live performance of traditional music which not only demonstrated traditional Indonesian songs but also popular Azerbaijan songs.

On the occasion of the reception, the guests were also presented with a variety of Indonesian beauties, through small exhibition of traditional clothes, textile and crafts, ranging from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan to introduce Indonesia’s rich and diverse cultures to foreign community. At this event, various Indonesian dishes are served such as Nasi Goreng (fried rice), bakso (Indonesian meatball), chicken satay and Gado-gado. The reception also received a very positive response from the guests, who expressed a lot of admiration about the rich diversity of Indonesian cultural dances, music and clothing