Handai Indonesia Festival Drives Indonesian Language Diplomacy
- 22 Agt 2026 23:06 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Foreign Affairs Minister, Sugiono, highlighted the role of Indonesian-language learning as a form of language diplomacy and cultural exchange.
- Learning Indonesian involves understanding Indonesia’s culture, ways of thinking, society, and way of life, not merely mastering the language.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Affais Minister, Sugiono, praised the Handai Indonesia Festival organized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry in Jakarta. He said learning Indonesian is not only about language proficiency, but also about understanding Indonesian culture and society.
“Learning Indonesian also means learning to understand the culture, ways of thinking, and way of life of the Indonesian people,” said Minister Sugiono at the Handai Indonesia Festival on Friday, August 21, 2026.
He said foreign speakers of Indonesian can become friends of Indonesia because of their close connection with Indonesian society and culture. Nearly 250,000 foreign learners from 62 countries have participated in the Indonesian for Foreign Speakers program (BIPA).
Minister Sugiono expressed hope that the program would continue to expand and reach more foreign learners from various countries. He said that language can strengthen relations between countries through direct people-to-people communication.
“Language can strengthen relations between countries through direct communication among their peoples. This is the main objective of language diplomacy,” he said.
Minister Sugiono also commended the finalists, teachers, organizers of the Handai Indonesia Festival, and diplomats from friendly countries who have supported the preservation of the Indonesian language.
“I believe that as the number of friends abroad continues to grow, bridges of friendship will become stronger and Indonesia’s name will shine ever more brightly in the international arena,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lao Ambassador to Indonesia, Khamfeuang Phanthaxay, said that speaking Indonesian had enabled closer interaction with local communities. “For us, learning Indonesian is not merely about improving language skills, but also about understanding Indonesia’s people, culture, and perspective,” he said.
According to Khamfeuang, his use of Indonesian has helped him interact with members of the public, including when speaking with vendors at traditional markets.
The language ability has also made it easier for him to understand local wisdom, cultural richness, and community traditions while traveling to different regions. Khamfeuang said friendship among countries is built not only through diplomatic relations, but also through mutual acquaintance and understanding.
He expressed hope that Indonesian-language classes for diplomats would continue, allowing more diplomats from friendly countries to benefit. He said the program serves not only as a language-learning initiative, but also as a forum for building friendship between Indonesia and its partner countries. (Annaila Azzahra-EN)
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