President: Make Bali Festival Forum to Develop Creativity

Denpasar, Indonesia - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the public and regional government of Bali to make the annual Bali Cultural Festival a forum to develop creativity and innovation.

"Make the festival not only a mere arts party but a forum for cultural dialogues that are enlightening and educative," he said at the opening of the 32nd Bali Cultural Festival here on Saturday evening.

He said in its efforts to maintain its cultural identity in the current era of globalizaton Indonesia is faced with a problem of cultural intervention which is not always in line with local wisdom and of identity crisis.

"Certainly we must not be carried away by global currents which often move without limits. We must continue to safeguard our national identity and cultures, Indonesian cultures that have own character and spirit," he said.

President Yudhoyono on the occasion also appealed to make the Bali Cultural Festival a means of promotion for tourism in Bali in paricular and in the country in general.

"Let us present the products of our artists and culturalists to attract tourists so that they could enjoy our various cultures and multi-cultural expressions," he said.

The month-long annual festival is also participated in by foreign arts troupes such as from Japan, the US, Canada, France and India.

Seen attending the opening of the festival were first lady Mrs Ani Yudhoyono, Bali governor I Made Mangku Pastika, tourism minister Jero Wacik and several cabinet ministers and some foreign ambassadors including US ambassador Cameron Hume.

Source: http://www.antaranews.com
Picture: http://www.aseanaffairs.com

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