Bulgaria and Indonesia agree on the opening of an honorary consulate in Bali
21 September 2018 News
The honorary consulate will represent the interests of Bulgaria on the Indonesian island Bali, which has been gaining in popularity as a tourist destination for Bulgarian holidaymakers. The agreement was reached in Montreal between the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and Indonesia, Ekaterina Zaharieva and Retno Marsudi.
Indonesia already has two honorary consuls in Bulgaria. In September 2018, the process of granting approval for the appointment of a third honorary consul was in its final stages.
The eruption of the Mount Agung volcano was the last occasion on which an active consular intervention was required to assist several dozens of Bulgarians on the island. At the time, coordination was handled by a crisis centre at the Bulgarian Embassy in Jakarta, acting in cooperation with the consular services of other EU Member States, whose nations were stranded on Bali.
‘The opening of an honorary consulate will enhance our ability to react more adequately in such situations’, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said.
‘Congratulations on a successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union’, said Minister Marsudi by way of greeting her counterpart. The top Bulgarian diplomat expressed gratitude for the positive appraisal and went on to present the key foreign policy achievements of the Bulgarian Presidency.
Ministers Zaharieva and Marsudi discussed a number of topical issues on the international agenda, including the Middle East peace process, migration and combating radicalisation. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. Eighty-seven (87 %) of its 262-million population are Muslims. In 2014, Indonesia issued a strong condemnation of ISIS and prohibited the dissemination of its ideology in Indonesia.
The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and Indonesia noted that despite the positive trends in the exchange of goods, the potential of the two countries creates conditions for a significantly higher trade volume. In 2017, bilateral trade stood at US$ 58.1 mln. of which US$ 19.2 mln. in exports and 38.9 mln. in imports. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and the 16th largest economy in the world. It is a member of G20.
Diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Indonesia were established on 20 September 1956. Today, the Bulgarian Embassy in Jakarta functions as a regional centre. The Bulgarian Ambassador in Indonesia is also accredited to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and ASEAN.
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