REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesian Ambassador to Colombia Trie Edi Mulyani believes in using the "five minute diplomacy" approach to promote Indonesia in Colombia. Sometime the diplomacy means cooking instant noodle which is very popular in Indonesia.
Mulyani, popularly known as Ninik, stated during a press gathering with Indonesian journalists on Friday that she likened the five-minute diplomacy approach to a spontaneous cooking show that she hosts at the Indonesian Embassy, which is often attended by other Colombian officials.
"I really want to utilize every moment that I have in Columbia to promote Indonesia. Sometimes, I just show them how to cook Indomie (a brand of Indonesian instant noodles) that only requires five minutes of cooking time or invite the guests, including the Colombian journalists, to sample the Indonesian cuisine at the embassy," Ninik remarked.
For Ninik, the promotion need not be necessarily organized in a big and pricey manner, but should be held to give the Colombians an insight into Indonesia and eventually generate greater interest and curiosity among them to visit and explore Indonesia.
According to Ninik, during her one-year assignment in Columbia, she found that most of the Colombians had no idea about the Indonesian archipelago, except Bali Island.
"I even created a special business card bearing the Indonesian map on its rear side, so that every time people ask me about Indonesia I can simply show them the map," she added.
Indonesia has enjoyed diplomatic ties with Columbia for the past 25 years.
"This year, we will celebrate our 25th diplomatic anniversary, but, sadly, many Colombians still dont know much about Indonesia," she reported.
Despite the unawareness among many Colombians about Indonesia, Indonesia and Columbia trade has shown a positive trend in the past five years, with an average growth of 15 percent and trade value in December 2012 reaching 190.1 million USD or a 10.92 percent increase, which is higher than the total trade recorded in 2011, which reached 171.4 million USD.
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