Presidential Special Staff for International Relations Teuku Faizasyah stated on Thursday that the Adipurna star is the highest award given by the Indonesian government to any foreign statesman and will be conferred on the leaders of the two friendly countries, mainly based on their merits to strengthen bilateral relations with Indonesia.
Both Gusmao and Benigno are also scheduled to participate in the VII BDF held in Nusa Dua, Bali, on October 10-11.
The Philippines president will lead the forum along with President Yudhoyono.
"The presence of the Philippines president as the co-chair of the VII BDF has a meaning of its own, considering that the Philippines is one of the earliest countries in the region that has been implementing a democratic system. So, many things can be learnt from the experiences gained by the Philippines," stated Faizasyah.
Apart from East Timors Prime Minister, the event will also be attended by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam.
The seventh democracy forum is themed, "Evolving Regional Democratic Architecture: The Challenges of Political Development, Public Participation and Socio-Economic Progress In the 21st Century."
According to Faizasyah, the main theme of the forum "Evolving Regional Democratic Architecture" reflects the shared optimism that true democracy continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific region, both in the context of developments at the domestic level of the state and within the scope of cooperation in the organizations in the region.
"While the sub-theme, The Challenges of Political Development, Public Participation and Socio-Economic Progress in the 21st Century, Indonesia is inviting participants to lay greater attention on the key issues that are often questionable and encountered in enhancing the democratic process of a country," Faizasyah remarked.
The BDF is a forum designed to exchange views and the best experiences in the promotion of democracy in one country or region, Faizasyah noted.
"As a dynamic process, democracy - especially in the countries that are under a democratic consolidation - continues to search for the best form, and therefore, this forum will offer the widest possible platform for the participants to learn from each other, even for Indonesia," Faizasyah emphasized.
The forum, which was initiated by President Yudhoyono, is an annual event that has become part of the calendar of events on democratic discourse in the Asia-Pacific region, which involves the government representatives in the region.
Since its initiation in 2008, the BDF serves to promote regional and international cooperation in the field of promoting inclusive democracy by exchanging the best experiences of each country in the democratic process.
The VII BDF will be the last forum to be inaugurated by President Yudhoyono, given that he will end his second term as the head of state on October 20th.
(Uu.A050/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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