Indonesia solidifies cultural diplomacy with Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Dec 5 (ANTARA) - Indonesia continues to strengthen cultural diplomacy with Cambodia to improve relations between the two countries, according to Director of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ani Nigeriawati.

Indonesia has been carrying out a series of policies and programs to strengthen people-to-people contact with Cambodia, she said while giving a public lecture at the Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Wednesday.

Nigeriawati said that Indonesia offers scholarship programs that the Cambodian people can utilize to get to know Indonesia better.

They include the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (BSBI) program initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2003. Currently, the program has more than 1,071 alumni spread across 84 countries.

Cambodia is one of the countries with the most alumni at 24. For this reason, Cambodia was chosen as the host of BSBI 2024 and also became the first country to hold an alumni meeting (refresh program).

"This program aims to promote stronger cultural diplomacy with Cambodia, and this has become part and commitment of the President (Prabowo Subianto)," she said.

Meanwhile, efforts to strengthen cultural diplomacy with Cambodia are also being carried out in various ways, including through gastronomy diplomacy, fashion, and films.

According to her, film is one of the interesting sectors that can be developed, considering that Indonesian films—especially horror films—are popular in Cambodia.

Thus, Indonesia is planning to hold a film and culinary festival in Cambodia next year.

On that occasion, Vice Chancellor of the Royal University of Fine Arts San Phalla said that increasing and strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, arts, and culture was one of the agendas of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.