Exhibition „Belgrade – Jakarta, relation since its establishment until today”
The exhibition of archives “Belgrade – Jakarta, relation since its establishment until today” was ceremonially opened on November 20, 2013, in the hall of Yugoslavian Archive, with the attendance of many guests. The exhibition will last until the end of December, and it will contain a collection of documents which commemorate the long lasting friendly relationship between Serbia and Indonesia.At the opening, the audience could hear speeches of its host Miladin Milošević who is the director of the Yugoslavian Archive, his Excellency Samuel Samson who is ambassador of Republic of Indonesia to Serbia, Nebojša Stefanović who is the president of Serbian Parliament, and Miladin Lukić, assistant of the minister of culture and information in Serbia. The exhibition was opened by Nebojša Stefanović who is also a member of a Parliamentarian group of the friendship with Indonesia. Many institutions and distinguished guests attended the opening, such as Serbian Patriarch Irinej, representatives of Serbian Government, members of the Crown Council, religious communities, diplomatic representatives, cultural institutions, National Archive of Indonesia, members of the group of friendship with Indonesia in the Serbian Parliament, and members of the association of Serbian-Indonesian friendship Nusantara.
The exhibition contained many photographs, contracts, notes, paintings and other authentic documents which witness the 59 years long history of diplomatic relationship between these two countries. The president of the Serbian Pariament Nebojsa Stefanovic said that the exhibition was a retrospective of the history of good relations of the two countries. He said that he had the chance to convince himself to the attachment and respect that peoples of Indonesia have towards people of Serbia.
“The firmness of these relations should be deepened through the cooperation on all levels” said Stefanovic, with a notice that, besides the cooperation of the two parliaments and two states, there should be cooperation between two peoples, which could be crowned by the meeting of the two presidents.
Stefanovic also said that in the foundation of the good relationship there is a friendship between the two former presidents, Josip Broz Tito and Ahmed Sukarno. Their personal relations, respect and the fight for the same ideals left the deep trace in our peoples, the trace which exist even today, 60 years after them, said Stefanovic.
The ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Serbia, Samuel Samson reminded us that the agreement about the extablishment of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Serbia was signed 1954, which is testified by the monumental exhibition in the Yugoslavian Archive. “This is one of the very important actions between the two countries which have been taken in the part of Memorandum of understanding, which was signed on March 13, 2013 by the Yugoslavian Archive and the national Archive of Indonesia”. He indicated about the traditionally close diplomatic relationship of the two countries, which last for more than 50 years now. He also indicated about the cooperation in the area of economy, politics, culture, tourism and military, especially indicating the development of the relation between the two peoples, which gives “the firm foundation for the future cooperation, which will be mutually beneficial”.
The ambassador mentioned the exchange of visits of presidents of the two parliaments last year, as well as the Second Interfaith Dialogue between Serbia and Indonesia in Jakarta, in October last year. The dialogue was attended by Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Among the most important events is the students’ exchange, which is increased in the last three years, according to Mr. Samson.
“The further development of our relationship is today’s signing of the Memorandum of understanding between the Serbian Sports Union and the Indonesian National committee for Sport, which will start the new chapter in the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of sport and youth” said Samson.
Ambasador Milisav Pajic from the Direction for Asia and Australia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , said that this exhibition shows in the best way that our diplomatic relations stood firmly through the challenges of time. “Our relations have been developing in the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and other principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, among whose founders we both were… The exhibition is only one in a series of manifestations which will mark 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Indonesia”.
The assistant of the Minister of culture of Republic of Serbia, Miladin Lukic, said that the exhibition “Belgrade-Jakarta” shows the role and the importance of the archive in remembering the events and figures of the new history, especially “in fast history in today’s informatics society, which bought to events changing in a daily manner for what took decades in the old times’.
“Our archives become the treasury in which the heritage which had been created by Serbia and Indonesia during the half of a century is kept. The policy of peacekeeping coexistence and non-alignment are also a cultural heritage, and understanding the culture, cultural diplomacy and common projects, can mean more stable way in achieving the common interests” said Lukic.
The director of Yugoslavian Archive Miladn Milosevic said that this exhibition was the first project realized in the application of Memorandum about understanding. He indicated that the exhibition of Nada Pantelic will bring the common past marked by the diplomatic relations closer to the Serbian and Indonesian audience.
The exhibition testifies about the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between Indonesia and Yugoslavia in 1954, signing of the first agreement in the field of culture in 1959, mutual visits of government figures and it follows its continuity until today.
Yugoslavia was one of the first countries who accepted the independence of Indonesia in 1950.Four years later, the two governments made the agreement about the establishment of diplomatic relations, and two years after that the diplomatic missions were raised from the level of mission to the level of ambassador. Since then, there were 19 diplomats from Indonesia in Belgrade and 17 diplomats from Serbia in Jakarta.
Within the scope of the exhibition, there was a space for the Association of Serbian-Indonesian friendship Nusantara: the photograph of the meeting of the president of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the president of the Association Dr Aleksandar Rakovic, as a selected friend of the president for 2013, in Jakarta, on August 17 2013. There were catalogues of exhibitions, film festival and a book about the First Interfaith Dialogue between Serbia and Indonesia.
After the opening of the exhibition, the protocol about the cooperation between Serbian Sports Union and Indonesian National Committee for Sport was signed. The assistant of Serbian Minister for sport and youth, Dragan Atasanov said that Serbia can help Indonesian sport, and that the secret of the success of Serbian sportsman is the cooperation between Serbian Sports Union, Olympic Committee of Serbia and the Ministry of Sport and Youth.
“We can help our sport friends in Indonesia through exchange of sport trainers and sportsmen, as well as professionals from other profiles, in cooperation with National Institute for sport and Serbian Anti-doping agency” said Atasanov.
Indonesian ambassador Samuel Samson expressed his gratitude for the reception and he commended Serbian sportsmen as an inspiration and a role model for many countries. He indicated the popularity of Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic in Indonesia. The leader of Indonesian Parliamentary delegation made a joke referring to the similarity between the mayor of Indonesia whose name’s Djokovi, and Serbian tennis player Djokovic.
Katalog izložbe – PDF [11,2MB]
FOREWORD
By
H.E.Mr. Semuel Samson
Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia
to the Republic of Serbia
I am very grateful to God the Almighty and it is really my great honor and privilege to write a foreword for the catalogue dedicated to the exhibition honoring the “58th anniversary of the Belgrade-Jakarta Diplomatic Relations” and published by “Arhiv Jugoslavije”, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Belgrade. We are sincerely expressing our gratitude to Mr. Miladin Milosević, Director of the Arhiv Jugoslavije of the Republic of Serbia, together with his associates for their hard works and dedication in realizing this exhibition, dedicated to the milestone of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Serbia. We are convinced that such a historical document will have a great value and significant impact towards further bilateral relations between Indonesia and Serbia established since 1955.
We believe that publishing this catalogue will show the importance of our long historical and close bilateral relations at the first stage, especially when our Governments agreed to establish the formal diplomatic relation through joint official statement in Jakarta and Belgrade, on November 4th, 1954, and then followed by the arrival of the first Charge d’Affairs of Yugoslavia to Indonesia in Jakarta in February 1955, as well as the comming of the first Charge d’Affairs of Indonesia to Yugoslavia in Belgrade.
Afterwards, through strong commitment of both countries, bilateral relations between Jakarta and Belgrade were elevated to the embassy level on July 10th, 1956, by the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Belgrade, and the first Indonesian Ambassador to Yugoslavia, H. E. Dr. Soedarsono, then in the same year followed by the arrival of the first Yugoslav Ambassador to Indonesia in Jakarta, H. E. Dr. Stane Pavlič.
We are still nourishing a pleasant memory of close and friendly relations between our two leaders during the first period of our bilateral relations, which built a strong cooperation and paved the way for the great vision of establishing the Non-aligned Movement(NAM). President Josip Broz Tito hosted the first NAM summit in Belgrade on September 1-6, 1961, six years after President Soekarno organized the Asia Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955. The great historical achievement, the establishment of NAM, was reached by our two leaders along with other founding fathers, Jawaharlal Nehru from India, Gamal Abdel Nasser from Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah from Ghana, (in what became) known as “The Initiative of Five”.
Today we are marking the 58th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Serbia, but also the friendship between the two countries. During that period Indonesia and Serbia were confronted by many problems. Challenges have been faced while our Governments laid strong efforts to develop the respective countries and provide prosperity to their people.
Indonesia and Serbia have many similarities, as reflected in multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural societies, but also the same principles and objectives in their foreign policies. We are very grateful that after all these years, there is the continuation of development and strengthening of our bonds of cooperation in many sectors. Further, there is the same commitment in Jakarta and in Belgrade for fostering overall good neighbourly relations, regional and international cooperation, along with dedication to preserve peace and stability in the world.
Having in mind such orientation by both Indonesia and Serbia all past years, we do hope that our two countries will be always side by side, along with other fellow nations around the world. In this regard, it is reasonable to focus on further expansion of our mutual cooperation, and set the goal of entering into the realm of strategic partnership between Indonesia and Serbia.
God bless the diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Serbia.
God bless the friendly relation between the peoples of Indonesia and Serbia.
Thank you.