In his room there is a library of English and Indonesian books, a wall full of photos of former ambassadors, large paintings , Common and diplomatic office supplies.
And also a decorative sword of Zulfiqar In his office which is a gift from Zanjan’s governer and this may be the sign of office of Muslim country’s ambassador.
Interview with indonesian ambassador
“Octavian Alimudin” talked about his former job and he have started his job since 1992 in Foreign Ministry of Indonesia and he was ambassador in Philippines and hungary. He began his career in Tehran two years and three month ago. We had interview with him about central issue of Iran-Indonesia relations in the field of tourism in year in which his country hosts Asian Games 2018.
Q: It is the third year which you are ambassador in Iran ,How did you find Iran in terms of its culture?
He said :”Iran is the land of peace and culture. The first time I came to Iran, I want to see not only Tehran but also other cities. I was curious to see different cities in Iran. After starting my career as Ambassador, my first trip was to Isfahan, the city which its culture and history are very attractive to me and also its crafts are amazing. Then, I traveled to several other cities , including Mashhad, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Yazd, Gorgan, Sari, Tabriz, Urmia, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Qeshm and Kish Island.”
Q: If you want to describe the feathers of culture and people of this land , which issues you will refer to?
In traveling to different cities of Iran, I see politeness and kindness as the Common Features of Iranians . They freely communicate with people of other countries. Iranians use poetries in their conversations very much which reveals the long-standing links with literature.
Q: As you said Iran is a country with historic tourist attractions, so what are the most attractive things about this country?
Iran has various historical attractions. On the one hand , historical places attract the attention of any cultural and historical tourist and on the other hand you have many stories of several thousand years history of Persia and the most important of them is Persepolis or Takht-e-jamshid. They are not only stones of historical period but also each one of these remnants has the story of thousand years of history. The other thing about the Iranian people is their intimacy. They love their country so much and the best example is world cup 2018 and how they passionately watch the game between national football team of Iran and the Portugal.
Q: How much do Indonesian people know about culture , art and Iranian people?
Indonesian people know your country as Persia. It is the reminder of old civilization which is famous in the world. In general, Islamic culture has brought two countries together. There are many similarities in religious ceremonies between Iranians and Indonesians.
Please tell us an example:
For example in Ashura and Tasu’a , “Tabuik” is the local manifestation of the Remembrance of Muharram which is usually held in west sumatera since 1831.It is an event to celebrate Ashura on the 10th of Muharram and two statues brought to the seashores to reflect the ascension of Hassan and Hussein to heaven after karbala war. Tabuik is a reflection of bouraq (means of transportation to heaven) , a bird with human head broad wings and tails. It has coffins with beautiful decorations at back , umbrellas on top, and eight paper flowers on both sides.
Another example is the Funeral , in both countries there are many similarities in their behavior towards lost loved ones.
Q : One of the most important parts of your job is the acquaintance of two nations , what is your achievement in this area? have you done anything to introduce Iran to Indonesia and vice versa?
In 2016, the Indonesian President traveled to Iran, a trip that focused on three categories of trade, culture and tourism. We participated in tourism exhibition of Isfahan, also in the exhibition of agricultural products and energy in Tehran. In Indonesia we held Iranian film festival for two weeks. We try to improve the relations not only in commercial fields but also the cultural dimensions.
Q: Do you watch Iranian Films?
Yes
Q: What is your favorite Iranian film?
Muhammad: The Messenger of God (director: Majid Majidi.( This film shows the different aspects in life of prophet Muhammad (PBUH). And this view was interesting for me .I watch Iranian films from websites with subtitles.
Q: Tourism is an important industry, in past years how much growth was seen in trips between two counties?
Statistics shows that trips of Iranian tourist increased up to 57 % but there are no accurate statistics about Indonesian travels to Iran because sometimes they don’t travel to Iran directly ,so indirect transit has no accurate statistics. But for Iranians, 13,000 Indonesian visas have been issued for recreational travels and tourism. If we add business trips, the Indonesian issued visas will reach 15,000 for Iranians.
Q: You mentioned a significant point; indirect transit. Direct flight is naturally one of the ways of expanding the relations between the two countries in the field of tourism.
Yes. That’s right .This year- Nowruz- it happened by Mahan Air. Indonesians, when come to Iran, usually see Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Shiraz. The reason is clear because these cities have international flights so air transportation is very important. Indonesian are interested to see Iran and buy Iranian carpets this can be the reason for their travel to cities that have carpet business.
Q: Is there any plan to create direct flights between the two countries?
Yes, we have but recent currency issues in Iran decreased trips but we are optimistic that Iranians will travel to Indonesia this year for Asian Games 2018 to support national team.
Q: How do you evaluate the future of economical, cultural and Tourism exchanges between two countries?
We try to increase relations in various fields after the Indonesian president’s visit to Iran, Formal Meeting increased and it will have growth in next months.” Masoumeh Ebtekar”- Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs- has visited Indonesia twice. In the future, these relationships will increase not only in government meetings but also in trade and tourism relations. As I said, cultural and rituals similarities increase interactions. For example, every year Indonesians participate in Quran recitation and memorization competition in Iran. Recently 21th international Biological Olympiad was held in Espinas hotel -TEHRAN- and 9 indonesian people participated. The two countries have very good cultural, scientific and technological relationships. Fortunately, there is no political and economical problem between Iran and Indonesia.
Q: You refer to religious beliefs and traditions between two nations, so, what are the other cultural commonalities between the Indonesian and the Iranians?
Honestly, Food is important and both countries have many commonalities .For example your Kebab is similar to our Satay .We like Coconut milk and you always have Doogh or yogurt. Halal food brings two countries together. We have something like Kalleh Pacheh but we use tomato in it. Rice is also a popular dish of both countries. In addition to food and way of cooking there are some similarities in Clothing.
Q: What are the must-see places that you suggest to tourists?
All cities of Iran are beautiful, but my first suggestion is Mashhad, as pilgrimage town and they can also buy saffron. I recommend Shiraz and Isfahan for the cultural and historical places and Islam history and history of worlds , and North of Iran for the Caspian Sea as well as buying caviar and Tabriz, known as the city of carpet in Indonesia.
Q: What is your idea about Tourism newspaper?
This newspaper has a very interesting idea – a daily newspaper on tourism. The content is good and valuable, and it is useful for someone who wants to know more about the tourism industry. Meanwhile, like most newspapers, it’s not just filled with ads. My suggestion is to introduce unknown places and attractions in short sentences because this type of content attracts the reader very much. I wish to see a more close relationship between the two countries in all aspects. Iranians and Indonesians, despite of long distance, have many cultural and religious similarities, and this can lead to better relationship.
By : Hasti Haghighi
