Indonesia Opens Honorary Consulate in Zvolen

Zvolen, 5 June (TASR) - Indonesia has opened its first honorary consulate in Slovakia on Thursday in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region), Eduard Poliak told TASR on behalf of the Indonesian honorary consulate, adding that the move is a response to the growing number of Indonesian nationals in Slovakia and an effort to boost bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries. The Indonesian consulate in Zvolen was opened by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD), Indonesian Ambassador to Slovakia Pribadi Sutiono and newly appointed honorary consul Julius Polonyi. "We've chosen Slovakia as a gateway for the development of our relations with the European Union countries," said Sutiono in his speech. The setting up of the consulate in Zvolen is to be a significant milestone in the 32-year history of bilateral diplomatic relations. It also responds to the increase in the number of Indonesian citizens in Slovakia. While in 2020, according to the consulate, there were approximately 100 Indonesian nationals living in Slovakia, there are currently more than 800 of them. According to the ambassador, the volume of Slovak investments in Indonesia is also growing steadily, currently standing at approximately $800 million. "One of the priorities of the Slovak foreign policy is to strengthen economic diplomacy. Indonesia is one of the strategic countries in Southeast Asia and we much appreciate all the achievements of Slovak entrepreneurs in this region," Blanar said in his address, also informing about the upcoming visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Slovakia. am