"We want to cooperate, not only for emergency responses, but also on a variety of problem solving issues. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Governor of Bali to discuss this," said French Ambassador to Indonesia Bertrand Lortholary on the sidelines of his visit to Bali`s Disaster Management office in Denpasar on Monday.
Lortholary added that cooperation between both parties has been going well, which is demonstrated by the existence of the Disaster Management office building in Bali.
Going beyond disaster management cooperation, the French government wants to increase its collaboration with Bali`s municipality, including the promotion of Balinese culture in France.
"Thousands of Indonesian students are studying in France, and we want the number to increase. Even for those who do not speak the French language, there is a lot of training being conducted so students can understand the French culture and language better," noted the ambassador.
According to Lortholary, Bali is one of the unique places in the world in terms of its landscape, and the spontaneous and good nature of its people. "I think there is a mystery that surrounds Bali," he added.
On the other hand, Lortholary also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of French tourists visiting Bali.
"The issue of safety is very important to us, as there are more and more French people visiting Bali. A total of 120 thousand French citizens visit Bali every year. After arriving here, I have seen for myself that the control center is very good and those who work there are dedicated," he added.
Meanwhile, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika presented a number of programs undertaken by the Bali municipality to address various problems, such as traffic jams.
Mangku Pastika also hoped that cooperation between France and Bali could be further improved.
(A050/S012)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
