This was stated by Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Antonio Morato Tavares during the visit of the ASEAN Moscow Committee to the XXXIII exhibition and fair of folk Arts and Crafts of Russia "Ladya" on March 2. The visit was organized by the Russia-ASEAN Business Council.

Mr. Ambassador highly appreciated the skill of Russian artists working in the folk craft segment. He noted the high potential of intercultural relations between our countries, telling about the steps taken by the Indonesian side in this direction.

According to Jose Antonio Morato Tavares, the Embassy of Indonesia in Moscow actively supports the creation of sites of Indonesian culture. Among the most famous are the courses of traditional Indonesian dances Kirana Nusantara and the section of the Gamelan Dadali orchestra on learning to play a traditional musical instrument. In addition, within the framework of intercultural interaction, the House of Indonesia is currently being built in Kaluga, in the ethnographic park-museum "Etnomir". Thanks to the largest platforms for promoting cultural exchange - the Darmasiswa Scholarship and The Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarships, the Indonesian government introduces the laureates from Russia to the rich cultural heritage of their country, providing the opportunity to live in the leading art centers of various cities and provinces.

"In the spring of 2023, we plan to hold a number of Indonesian-Russian cultural events. In particular, in March, a seminar of Indonesian music will be held at the Institute of Asia and Africa (ISAA MSU), and a seminar of "Indonesian Gastrodiplomacy" will be held at RANEPA. In April, the Moscow Memorial Mosque will host an Indonesian cultural evening in honor of the Holy Month of Ramadan. We invite all our Russian friends who are interested in the unique and rich culture of Indonesia!" said Mr. Ambassador.
During the visit, the ASEAN ambassadors got acquainted with the artistic crafts from more than 50 regions of Russia. The diplomats appreciated the work of creative associations, folklore collectives and masters from Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Vologda, Tula, Yaroslavl, Penza and other regions of Russia.

Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council Ivan Polyakov noted that the introduction to folk crafts is aimed at promoting trade, economic and cultural ties between Russia and the ASEAN countries. According to him, in 2023, the Russian-ASEAN strategic partnership celebrates its 5th anniversary. During this time, it was possible to launch joint projects in the field of security, energy, science and education. However, along with the priority areas of cooperation, it is necessary to coordinate efforts, including the establishment of mutually beneficial exchange of handicrafts, fishing technologies, which will give impetus to the cultural mutual enrichment of our countries.