Indonesia To Present Gong Of Peace To Colombia

Jakarta, Feb 12 (Antara) - The government of Indonesia will present a gong of peace to Colombia as a mark of its support to the ongoing peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the separatist group, FARC. Indonesian Ambassador to Colombia Trie Edi Utami stated here on Thursday that the plan of presenting a peace gong to Colombia was a follow-up to a suggestion offered by World Peace Committee President Djuyoto Suntani. "We already conveyed this plan (of presenting a peace gong) to the Colombian government, and they lauded our offer and committed to facilitate the plan," she said. According to Ambassador Utami, the gong of peace or "Gong de la Paz" would be placed in Cartagena, Colombia, and will be officially inaugurated this year. "We still do not know the exact time because the peace negotiations are still underway, and we understand that it is not easy," she affirmed. "But, we hope the best for Colombia," she added. Last January, Ambassador Utami met Colombia's Cultural Minister Mariana Garces Cordoba to discuss Indonesia's plan to present the gong of peace, which is popularly known as a symbol of Indonesian diplomacy to support world peace. During his meeting with Minister Cordoba, Utami emphasized that the Indonesian government strongly supported the peace negotiation process, which was conducted by the Colombian government and FARC. "We hope the gong of peace can symbolize a good momentum for the peace process in Colombia," she noted. Ambassador Utami returned to Indonesia to attend the Indonesian Representatives' Work Meeting at the Pancasila building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Jakarta, on Feb 2-5, 2015. After attending the meeting and before returning to Colombia on Feb. 13, Ambassador Utami met various Indonesian business delegates to invite them to do business in Colombia. She also visited Bandung City, West Java, to deliver a general lecture at the Parahyangan University and met Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil to discuss potential cooperation between Indonesia and Colombia.