On September 14, on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia H. E. Mr. Iwan Bogananta,

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife Mme Noni Bogananta, held a diplomatic reception at the National History Museum in Sofia, under the motto "New Nusantara, Advancing Indonesia".

Н. E. Mr. Iwan Bogananta addressed his many guests with a welcoming speech:

Good evening,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to welcome you this evening at our diplomatic reception to commemorate the 79^th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.

Let me take this opportunity to extend my highest appreciation to our Guest of Honour, Her Excellency Mme Rositsa Kirova, the Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. Thank you for being with us in this very important and historical place.

It is also a pleasure to have our Delegation of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia present with us this evening.

79 years ago, on the 17th of August 1945, Indonesian nationalists and statesmen gathered, to proclaim our independence. Today, this anniversary is not only for celebration, but also as momentum of reflection.

Reflection to remember the sacrifices made by our founders; and reflection to renew our commitment to build a strong and prosperous future.

The theme for our 79^th anniversary this year is "Nusantara Baru, Indonesia Maju" or "the New Nusantara, Advancing Indonesia". Nusantara is the new capital of Indonesia.

Nusantara is a symbol of national unity and progress. As a new hub for economic growth, our new capital is envisioned to be a green, smart, inclusive and sustainable city.

Also this year, on the 14^th of February 2024, Indonesia held General Elections which was accomplished in a peaceful, democratic, and successful manner. Soon, in October, the new elected President and Vice President will be sworn in.

I believe, the new Government will continue the success story in implementing our foreign policy abroad.

I have been the Ambassador of Indonesia to Bulgaria, as well as covering Albania and North Macedonia, for almost 4 years now.

When I just arrived in Sofia, it was December 2020. When the world was under a challenging situation, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I and my team did the best we could, to maintain and enhance the cooperation with our accredited countries in such situation.

And now, I am proudly announcing that the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and our accredited countries – especially Bulgaria – are strong, advanced, and concrete.

I am pleased to convey that this month also marked the 68^th bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Bulgaria, since our diplomatic relation was established on September 20^th, 1956.

This is also the reason why I chose the Museum of National History, as the place to hold our reception. It is to show our appreciation for a long-standing friendship, good cooperation and trust, between Indonesia and Bulgaria.

Indonesia and Bulgaria have been working together to nurture this harmony. Bulgaria has been a good ally for reciprocal cooperation on the candidatures in the UN bodies and other international organizations, such as UN Human Right Council, UNESCO, IMO, ITU, and so many more.

Allow me to share the achievements of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Bulgaria under my administration over the past 4 years:

On economic cooperation,

For the past 4 years, we have implemented various new initiatives to strengthen Indonesia's economic partnerships with Bulgaria, including by involving the private sectors.

In the last five years, the trade between Indonesia-Bulgaria has grown positively almost 50%. Economic cooperation between Indonesia and Bulgaria has produced many concrete achievements, among others: the establishment of Beef Rendang production in Plovdiv, as well as trade agreements on Desiccated Coconut and palm oil shortening.

As the result of bilateral meeting between Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and Bulgarian Minister of Tourism in 2023, Bulgaria is our hub for Indonesia Spice Up the World for the European Market. In the future, we are sure, Bulgaria will be the hub for even more Indonesian products.

Furthermore, our Embassy has also facilitated the cooperation agreement on investment in our New Capital Nusantara by private sectors from Bulgaria. We believe, this collaboration will benefit both parties and further strengthening our economic cooperation.

On social and cultural cooperation,

We worked closely with Sofia University, who made Indonesian module as a compulsory study in the South, East and South East Asia Program. We support them with teachers from Indonesia to ensure the full understanding and experience. We offered scholarships and we also exchange students through various schemes.

We also conducted many cultural activities, such as organized a fascinating concert "Harmonature" in the Ancient Amphitheatre, as well as our participation in Asian Festival and Folklore Festivals.

As a part of our community building, we support and encourage a dance group named Pesona Mawar Nusantara, whose participants are young Bulgarians who love our culture. This year is their 20^th anniversary for being the partner of our Embassy in promoting our culture in Bulgaria.

Our effort in strengthening people to people contact is transpired in the increasing tourism activities between the two countries. During my tenure, the number of Bulgarian tourists who came to Indonesia and vice versa, increased significantly. Since 2020, the number of Bulgarian tourists who came to Indonesia has been doubled. Indeed, this achievement is important, because tourism is one of the essential sectors of our bilateral relations.

As President Jokowi has laid out in our vision for a Golden Indonesia by 2045, we are committed to becoming one of the world’s top economies. In the 2030s we will experience the peak of the demographic bonus, with 68.3 percent of the total Indonesian population being of productive age. This is a big opportunity for Indonesia. And today, Indonesia's economy ranks the 16^th among the G-20 member countries.

To achieve this goal, we are focusing on strengthening our partnerships globally. Bulgaria is an important part of this journey. Our cooperation in various sectors, from technology, strategic industry, to education, will play a crucial role in reaching this goal.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Indonesia will have a new government. This also marking the end of my four-year tenure as Ambassador. It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country in these esteemed nations. These past four years have been some of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences for me and my family. I am proud of what our Embassy has accomplished over the past four years.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues in the embassy, whose tireless efforts and unwavering commitment have been the foundation of our success. You have been my family away from home, and I am forever grateful for your dedication and camaraderie.

To our partners and friends from the government, fellow Ambassadors, Indonesian Honorary Consuls (in Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia), business community, and civil society, I extend my heartfelt thanks. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your friendship; and I look forward to continuing these connections in the years to come.

To conclude, on behalf of the Government and the People of Indonesia, I would like to personally thank our Guest of Honour, H. E. Mrs. Rositsa Kirova, and everyone present this evening for your support and your cooperation.

Let me also take a moment to thank the incredible team here at the Embassy, the team from Jakarta, and all who supported the organizing of this tremendous celebration.

Last but not least, I would also like to thank the Director of the National History Museum and team. Thank you for the outstanding cooperation and for making this event possible.

Cheers! Nazdrave!

Thank you.

On the Bulgarian side, Mme Rositsa Kirova, Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, as the guest of honour at the reception, in her welcome speech, underlined the strong and sustainable friendship between the two countries.

An impressive stage programme followed. The only Indonesian dance group in Bulgaria, Pesona Mawar Nusantara (The Enchanting Roses of the Archipelago), demonstrated Indonesia's rich cultural heritage in traditional dance. Performances by Iskandar Widjaja, an internationally acclaimed violinist, Maya Hasan, a world-class harpist, and vocalists Tantri and Jeff completely captivated the audience.

The Indonesian Embassy expressed its warmest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the reception: to the talented team behind the scenes, including Jay Subiakto (artistic director), Taba Sanchabakhtiar (multimedia director), and Inet Leimena (stage designer); and to the sponsors, Turkish Airlines and Hyatt Regency Sofia, for their generous support of the raffle that took place at the event.

The guests spent truly wonderful moments immersed in the beauty and richness of Indonesian culture, and they left with their hearts brightened by the love and kindness that enveloped them during this unforgettable evening.

The Diplomatic Spectrum team, with gratitude for the cooperation over these four years, wishes H. E. Mr. Iwan Bogananta, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife, Mme Noni Bogananta, good health, prosperity, and future professional success!

The photos are provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia. Above: H. E. Mr. Iwan Bogananta, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Bulgaria