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Indonesia to host Melanesian festival, aimed at enhancing regional cooperation

Xinhua, October 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indonesia's eastern city of Kupang was scheduled to host the initial Melanesian Festival from Oct. 26-30, aimed at encouraging Melanesian countries to further explore cooperation among them so as to attain collective welfare, an Indonesian senior official said here on Thursday.

Besides Indonesia as the hosting nation, the upcoming festival would be attended by delegates from Melanesian countries consisted of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island, Timor Leste, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, Cultural Director General at Indonesia's Education and Culture Ministry Kacung Marijan said here.

The festival would also be attended by representative official of Vanuatu-based Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG), Marijan added.

Marijan said the festival was highly expected to improve international community's understanding on Melanesia race and their culture, encouraging further cooperation among Melanesian countries.

"Cooperation improvement was expected to occur in sectors of culture, education and economy. Cooperation in maritime was also highly expected as Indonesia has initiated it with several Pacific countries," Marijan told a press conference in his office here.

"Commonality in cultural and social values would be significant factors to further expand cooperation among Melanesian countries," Marijan added.

According to Marijan the appointment of Indonesia to host the Melanesian Festival was due to the facts that Indonesia has 80 percent of Melanesian race living in the world, Marijan pointed out.

He said Indonesia's provinces mostly inhabited by the Melanesian race were Papua, West Papua, North Maluku, Maluku, East Nusa Tengggara and Southeast Sulawesi.

The festival themed "Celebrating the Cultural Diversity of Melanesian World" was scheduled to be officially opened by Indonesian Education and Cultural Minister Anis Baswedan.

Marijan said the festival would be filled with several events consisted of international conferences, art performances, cultural exhibition and movies. Enditem