President to Deliver Speech at Special Unesco Session

Paris - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to deliver a speech about the Indonesian government's efforts in preserving and protecting its cultural diversity at a special session of UNESCO here on Wednesday (Nov 2). Yudhoyono will share Indonesia's experience in maintaining cultural diversity for the sake of unity at the special UNESCO session marking the 10th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. "Indonesia has been chosen to deliver a key speech because they consider Indonesia as a an example of a country where cultural diversity eventually became a source of strength," the head of state said at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in eastern Jakarta on Monday (Oct 31) shortly before his departure to France. "They understand that managing diversity is not easy, and what we have done in this respect," he said. Indonesia joined UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on May 27, 1950. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage arrived in Paris, France, at 8.30 pm Monday local time (2.30 am Tuesday in Indonesia) for a working visit until Saturday, Nov 5, 2011. Arriving on a Garuda Indonesia flight at Orly airport in Paris, the president was greeted by Indonesian Ambassador to France Rezkan Ishak Jenie, who is concurrently Indonesia's permanent representative to UNESCO. (*)