The tiny Ecuadorian community in Indonesia celebrated its 200th National Day on Monday evening with friends of Ecuador, the diplomatic corps and prominent Indonesian figures at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta.
Ecuador declared independence from Spanish rule in 1809.
Along with a free flow of wines, chocolate martinis and sumptuous dishes from Ecuador, members of the diplomatic corps enjoyed a vibrant exhibition of images from the Galapagos Islands.
Galapagos Islands wildlife reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the site of Charles Darwin’s studies for the theory of evolution.
The Ecuadorian ambassador to Indonesia, Rodrigo Yepes Enriquez, was accompanied on stage by
his wife Maria Sol Yepes, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro and the foreign ministry’s secretary-general, Imron Cotan, to welcome the guests.
In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Enriquez praised the close relationship between Indonesia
and Ecuador.
“Relations between Ecuador and Indonesia have been developing for 30 to 40 years and we want not just political, but also economic, ties to bear real fruit in the future,” said Enriquez.
Foreign Ministry Director-General for American and European affairs, Retno L.P. Marsudi, also attending the colorful reception, elaborated on Indonesia’s bilateral relations with Ecuador.
“Last month we signed an iconic agreement on energy with Ecuador and soon we will open an embassy in Quito soon,” Retno said.
Ecuadorian and Indonesian state oil companies, Petroecuador and Pertamina, are working together to exploit oil reserves in southeast Ecuador, and the two countries hope to extend their economic ties to the fields of mining, and traditional and alternative means of producing energy.
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