JAKARTA - Chairman of the DPR's Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) Putu Supadma and Acting National Speaker of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Hon Johnson Wapunai held a bilateral meeting at the Rudana Museum, Bali. This place was chosen as to carry out diplomacy through arts and cultural channels.
"So this meeting is a cultural talk and cultural lunch where the role of cultural arts is very important in guarding diplomacy. Because we know, soft diplomacy through art and culture is a binder of equality and brotherhood between nations," Putu said in a written statement quoted on Tuesday, May 23.
Putu explained that the meeting on Monday, May 22, also presented a variety of performances such as painting, dance, and traditional Balinese music which were expected to bring a new atmosphere. This is because the meeting has only been in the form of discussion and formal meetings.
There are several things discussed between the DPR's BKSAP and the Papua New Guinea parliament. Among them, efforts to propose the construction of a statue of Papua New Guinea's Pahlwan, Sir Michael Somare, who is the longest prime minister with a 17-year term.
If this effort is made by Indonesia, Putu assesses that bilateral relations with Papua New Guinea can be more closely established.
"We hope that the chairman of parliament, our government will take this action. Maybe only part but if we are able, donate this to them. So, they will remember that this is a donation from the Indonesian people, from the Indonesian nation," he explained.
This close relationship is also considered to have a good impact on relations between two neighboring countries. "Especially the Papua issue can be permanently resolved and Papua remains part of the motherland or Indonesia," said Putu.
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Putu said Papua New Guinea was committed to respecting the sovereignty of the Indonesian state. In fact, his claim is that the country's parliament rejects and arrests members of the Free Papua Organization who often hold meetings in their country.
"We are the same, supporting the sovereignty of their country. As neighboring countries, both of them support each other," he said.
"In fact, they refused and arrested the Papua Merdeka organization which held a meeting or using the Papua New Guinea region. We really appreciate that," continued Putu.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the BKSAP DPR RI Fadli Zon, Deputy Chairman of the BKSAP DPR RI Achmad Hafiz Tohir and Gilang Dhiela Fararez were present, as well as members of the BKSAP DPR RI namely Mulan Jameela, Mardani Ali Sera, Linda Megawati, and I Made Urip.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea was represented by Simon Namis as the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to Indonesia and the Secretary General of the Papua New Guinea Parliament, Kala Aufa. Also present were artists, culturalists, ISI Denpasar students, ISI rectors, and the Indonesian Keris National Secretariat (SNKI).
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