President To Open WCF Forum In Bali

Nusa Dua, Nov 25 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open a World Cultural Forum (WCF) in Bali on Monday. Yudhoyono would open the first world cultural forum to be held at the Bali International Convention Centre in Nusa Dua,Bali, Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh said. Nuh said the president already welcomed the delegations to the WCF at a dinner at the complex of Pusat Budaya Complex in Bali Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK). Around 40 countries will take part in the forum of discussions and seminar and dialogs on cultures, he said. He said WCF is aimed at promoting cultures not only as an element of social connectivity but also as an important supporting factor of globalization. Inter-cultural discussions has the potential to create something that is thought to be not feasible to be feasible, he said. . "Cultures could also serves as a global adhesive inter religious, race, and national relations," he said. WCF which will last until Nov 27 could be part of new civilization transformation, he added. He said WCF 2013 is expected to produce "Bali Promise" of new policy direction which places cultures as part of sustainable development. Bali Promise will contain cultural agreements between countries. Nuh said it would be the first time cultures as a world force discussed globally . "Indonesia took the initiative to hold WCF to support sustainable development ," he said in a news conference on Sunday. He said development should not be seen only from economic, political and environmental aspects but also from the cultural point of view . He said the world has o far has no agreement such as Bali Promise. The term of "promise" is used as it is non structural and has no political interest as is religious cultures , he said. He hoped that cultures could serve to support sustainable development and to provide connection between something disconnected. He also hopes that the forum could become a routine event involving official of countries of various cultures, academicians, cultural observers and other related institutions.