East Java, Belarus Enhance Education and Investment Cooperation

Jakarta, InfoPublik – East Java and the Belarusian Governments continue to enhance cooperation in various fields, including education, industry, trade, tourism, sister cities, and investment in the industry sector.

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, after receiving Belarus Ambassador to Indonesia Valery Kolesnik at the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya, Monday (08/12) stated that Belarus is one of European countries advancing in education and technology.

For this reason, she said, Belarus has already established cooperation and will continue to enhance cooperation with Unair in the field of higher education, particularly in economic and business education.

In addition to education sector, Belarus also established cooperation with the East Java Chamber of Commerce (KADIN). While in the industrial sector, Belarus established cooperation in the alutsista (strategic primary weaponry defense system) industry with PT Pindad in Malang Regency. PT Pindad is Indonesia’s State-owned weapons manufacturer and has been establishing cooperation with Belarus for a considerable period of time.

In fact, Indonesia’s one of largest fertilizer industry located in East java supplied some of its raw material from Belarus. In addition, Belarus is a landlocked country, giving East Java an opportunity to supply sea products for Belarus, especially tuna and salmon. So far, Belarus has been importing tuna and salmon from Sri Lanka.

"We had made an offer, since Indonesia’s largest tuna and salmon production comes from Sendang Biru Malang,” she said.

Furthermore, khafifah said that East Java has process industry in its Surabaya Industrial Estate Rungkut (SIER) which opens up opportunity for countries to invest. "We currently several processed industries in SIER, Belarus is welcomed to invest," she added.

East java Governor did not forget to offer the region’s favorite tourist destinations which include the Ijen Crater of the Ijen mountains and Mt. Bromo’s pasir berbisik (whispering sands). Ijen Crater is a 200m depth acidic crater lake located at the peak of Mount Ijen, sitting at 2,443 meters above sea level with with 5,466 hectares crater area. Ijen Crater Lake is known as the largest acid lake in the world. The Ijen crater is located in the Ijen Tourist Park Nature Reserve which is spread over both the Banyuwangi and Bondowoso regencies in East Java.

One of the unique features of the crater is the blue fire phenomenon that can be seen at dawn, at around 02.00 to 04.00 AM. The blue fire can only be seen in two places in the world namely Iceland and Ijen, East Java. "It rarely appears at Iceland but it appears every dawn at Ijen," she continued.

"Even though Belarus’s population is a quarter of East Java’s, their technology is advanced and its network is extensive. We need to inform them the leading tourist destinations in East Java," she added.
(Reporter: MC Diskominfo Prov Jatim/non-ryo/eyv, Translator: Wilda Stiana)