Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Indonesian culture is considered one of the oldest and richest in the whole Southeast Asia.

One of the characteristic features of the Indonesian culture is its stunning linguistic diversity. More than 700 living languages are spoken in Indonesia today.

The country’s rich cultural heritage is being presented at the 4th Indonesian Cultural Festival in Baku.

The opening ceremony took place at Heydar Aliyev Palace, bringing together talented artists who showcased Indonesian traditional music, folk dance music and more.

In their remarks, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Abulfas Garayev and Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Husnan Bey Fanani hailed cultural ties between the two countries. They stressed the festival's major role in introducing art, traditions and customs, and expanding humanitarian ties between the two nations.

Later, the guests were presented with vivid dances by folklore groups as well as musical pieces, including "Anklug", "Kuda Lumping", "Java", "Topeng" and others.

The spectacular show met with great interest. Participants of the event also got acquainted with the Indonesian cultural heritage, diversity and beauty of this country through the exhibition in the lobby.

Indonesian Cultural Festival will include cultural performances, an exhibition, a business meeting and a literature seminar. The festival will be held at Fountain Square on September 13-15.

The first ever Indonesian Cultural Festival was held in Baku in 2016. The two-day festival brought together groups of artists who presented traditional music, folk dance music and more.

Famous Indonesian jazz musician Dwiki Dharmawan performed at the festival last year. Students of Azerbaijan University of Languages together with Indonesian professional dancers presented traditional and national dances of this country.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia are constantly developing. Each year Indonesia offers various scholarships to Azerbaijani citizens.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Indonesia was established in 2006, while the Embassy of Indonesia in Azerbaijan was opened in 2010. Over the last few years, the two countries have closely cooperated in the fields of culture, tourism and trade.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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