A colourful and exotic reception was held in Islamabad to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.
The ceremony was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia and hosted by the Indonesian Ambassador Iwan Suyudhie Amri and Madame Rita Berlinia Amri to celebrate the country’s 72nd Independence Day.
Indonesian artifacts, signature umbrellas, and beautiful flowers decorated the venue, creating an atmosphere of Indonesia in Islamabad.
The celebration not only marked the Indonesia’s 72nd Independence Day anniversary but introduced the popular Asian country’s diverse food and culture to Pakistanis.
The reception was attended by the government dignitaries, diplomats, military officers, businesspersons, politicians and representatives from civil society who came to greet Indonesian friends and celebrate this auspicious occasion.
Muhammad Balighur Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training was the chief guest on the occasion. He congratulated the ambassador and Indonesian people on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan.
The evening began with the singing of the national anthems of both the countries in chorus by a group of Indonesian students. Pakistan’s national anthem was beautifully sung by the young Indonesian students.
Later, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia and the Chief Guest joined by the ASEAN Heads of Missions performed the cake cutting to mark the day.
In his welcome address, Indonesian Ambassador Iwan Suyudhie Amri said Indonesia is the most Muslim populous country and has transformed into a vibrant third largest democracy in the world.
“Indonesia with 1,340 ethnic groups, 1,211 local languages and 17,504 islands is spread out over 3000 km area.”
The envoy said that with such huge size and diversity the real strength and unity of over 250 million people lay in the national slogan of “Unity in Diversity” that provides foundation and ideology for peace, harmony and equality in the country.
Indonesia had witnessed remarkable social, political and economic changes in recent years. It made important progress towards its MDG targets, graduated to a Middle Income Country status and was welcomed to the fold of the G20, he added.
Ambassador Amri paid rich tributes to President Soekarno and Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for laying the strong foundation of the diplomatic ties between the two nations following Pakistan independence in 1947.
Sharing some significant achievements of Pakistan-Indonesia ties, Mr Amri said that the bilateral trade volume between the two countries had increased by 8.9 per cent from $1.6 billion in 2012 to $2.1 billion in 2016.
After the speech, the guests enjoyed delicious Indonesian cuisine, especially the colourful, authentic desserts.
The ceremony also featured cultural dance and music performance and walk on the ramp by Indonesian models. Indonesia’s exotic culture, elegant and highly stylized dances with rich music added colour to the evening.
The exclusive cultural show presented Balinese dances and costumes. Balinese dances are characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions.
The fascinating performances of Legon Kraton Dance and Wiranata dance were thoroughly enjoyed by the guests. The ladies simply loved the exquisite costumes form the Indonesian island of Bali.