SOUTH BORNEO, RAKYAT NEWS – His Excellency Todd Dias, the Consul General of Australia in Makassar, made his first official visit to South Kalimantan or South Borneo, where he met with the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) in Banjarmasin Bureau.

The meeting, held on September 19 at Sante Cafe Fugo Hotel, lasted nearly two hours and focused on various social, political, and cultural issues in the region, including press freedom.

During his visit, which spanned from September 18 to 20, Dias engaged with local government officials, including Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina and Fadjar Majardi, Head of Bank Indonesia for South Kalimantan.

His visit coincided with Banjarmasin’s anniversary celebration, where he attended the Festival Jukung Hias Tanglong.

“I am delighted to strengthen ties between South Kalimantan and Australia during my first visit here,” he stated.

He emphasized the importance of Australian programs, such as scholarships for postgraduate studies, collaborative research initiatives, and support for vulnerable groups.

In addition to his meetings with government officials, Todd Dias visited Lambung Mangkurat University, where he delivered a public lecture on Australia-Indonesia relations and study opportunities in Australia. He also hosted a dinner for Australian alumni residing in South Kalimantan.

As Australia and Indonesia celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, this visit underscores Australia’s commitment to supporting quality journalism in Indonesia, particularly in education, environment, and health sectors.

Randy Tisna, the coordinator of AJI Balikpapan, noted Australia’s long history of fostering high-quality journalism in the region.

He highlighted the need for enhanced journalist capacity in South Kalimantan, contrasting it with regions like West and East Kalimantan, which receive more training resources due to their higher media activity.

This visit not only marks a significant step in diplomatic relations but also opens avenues for collaborative efforts to bolster press freedom and quality journalism in Indonesia. (Uki Ruknuddin)