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ARMENIA SEEKS MORE VISIBLE PRESENCE IN INDONESIA: AMBASSADOR
13:28, 09 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Armenia is a relatively new face on the Indonesian diplomatic scene,
having opened an embassy here in late 2013. As a whole, Indonesian
awareness and interaction with part of the former Soviet republic
has been minimal at best. Armenian Ambassador to Indonesia Anna
Aghadjaniantalked to The Jakarta Post's Dylan Amirio on Armenia's
determination to promote more visible ties with Indonesia.
Question: What can Armenia do to boost its presence in Indonesia's
diplomatic scope?
Answer: It's not really about boosting Armenian presence but rather
letting Indonesians know that we exist. I understand that Armenia
has not been part of Indonesia's main geopolitical focus. Therefore,
my task is to raise awareness in both countries about each other. We
have been working with various government institutions and academia
to discover opportunities and trying to create cooperation at regional
levels.
As a whole, what can Armenia offer Indonesia and vice versa?
The main Indonesian imports are coffee and rattan furniture, which are
popular because of our long nice summers. Our trade volume is not big
but we are also researching the distance our products need to travel
[...] and are still looking at other things that can be traded as well.
There are certain fields that are currently being discussed.
With a growing middle class in Indonesia, what tourism potentials
can be offered?
Armenia offers a rich, diverse history and fascinating nature, being
a small and mountainous country. Our culture had been historically
centered on Christianity due to the fact that [the Kingdom of] Armenia
was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in
301 AD.
Besides old churches, monasteries and temples that are preserved and
still standing, you can also trace the heritage of different cultures
and empires, including the Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, Roman etc.
How is Indonesia perceived by Armenian eyes and ears?
Bali is already familiar to Armenian ears, but as much as it happens
with many of my colleagues from foreign nations here, I still hear
a lot of that "Bali is Indonesia" thing.
I would say the older generations of Armenians are more familiar with
Indonesia due to its history with the Soviet Union. But the younger
generation knows more about the tourism.
However, not many Armenians visit Indonesia mainly because of technical
visa problems. Indonesia has no embassy in Yerevan, and those who
wish to get one need to cross over to the Indonesian Embassy in Kiev,
Ukraine, so it's not a conducive process. Meanwhile, Indonesians are
able to obtain a visa on arrival upon reaching Armenia.
What other bilateral issues can be discussed between the two countries?
We are trying to promote legislative cooperation because they are
crucial in representing their people. Legislative diplomacy has a more
widespread constituency and can sometimes be more important than the
diplomacy I do.
Armenia went through reform after its independence from the Soviet
Union and Indonesia was also reforming itself in its own way. We're
going through the same process and trying to achieve the same goals.
One of my plans is to conduct a meeting with members of the legislature
or academicians [from the two countries] to compare their experiences.
Aside from that, we must focus on people-to-people cooperation. No
matter how cliche that may sound, but it is the truth.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/02/09/armenia-seeks-more-visible-presence-in-indonesia-ambassador/
13:28, 09 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Armenia is a relatively new face on the Indonesian diplomatic scene,
having opened an embassy here in late 2013. As a whole, Indonesian
awareness and interaction with part of the former Soviet republic
has been minimal at best. Armenian Ambassador to Indonesia Anna
Aghadjaniantalked to The Jakarta Post's Dylan Amirio on Armenia's
determination to promote more visible ties with Indonesia.
Question: What can Armenia do to boost its presence in Indonesia's
diplomatic scope?
Answer: It's not really about boosting Armenian presence but rather
letting Indonesians know that we exist. I understand that Armenia
has not been part of Indonesia's main geopolitical focus. Therefore,
my task is to raise awareness in both countries about each other. We
have been working with various government institutions and academia
to discover opportunities and trying to create cooperation at regional
levels.
As a whole, what can Armenia offer Indonesia and vice versa?
The main Indonesian imports are coffee and rattan furniture, which are
popular because of our long nice summers. Our trade volume is not big
but we are also researching the distance our products need to travel
[...] and are still looking at other things that can be traded as well.
There are certain fields that are currently being discussed.
With a growing middle class in Indonesia, what tourism potentials
can be offered?
Armenia offers a rich, diverse history and fascinating nature, being
a small and mountainous country. Our culture had been historically
centered on Christianity due to the fact that [the Kingdom of] Armenia
was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in
301 AD.
Besides old churches, monasteries and temples that are preserved and
still standing, you can also trace the heritage of different cultures
and empires, including the Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, Roman etc.
How is Indonesia perceived by Armenian eyes and ears?
Bali is already familiar to Armenian ears, but as much as it happens
with many of my colleagues from foreign nations here, I still hear
a lot of that "Bali is Indonesia" thing.
I would say the older generations of Armenians are more familiar with
Indonesia due to its history with the Soviet Union. But the younger
generation knows more about the tourism.
However, not many Armenians visit Indonesia mainly because of technical
visa problems. Indonesia has no embassy in Yerevan, and those who
wish to get one need to cross over to the Indonesian Embassy in Kiev,
Ukraine, so it's not a conducive process. Meanwhile, Indonesians are
able to obtain a visa on arrival upon reaching Armenia.
What other bilateral issues can be discussed between the two countries?
We are trying to promote legislative cooperation because they are
crucial in representing their people. Legislative diplomacy has a more
widespread constituency and can sometimes be more important than the
diplomacy I do.
Armenia went through reform after its independence from the Soviet
Union and Indonesia was also reforming itself in its own way. We're
going through the same process and trying to achieve the same goals.
One of my plans is to conduct a meeting with members of the legislature
or academicians [from the two countries] to compare their experiences.
Aside from that, we must focus on people-to-people cooperation. No
matter how cliche that may sound, but it is the truth.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/02/09/armenia-seeks-more-visible-presence-in-indonesia-ambassador/