SBY Kicks off World Batik Summit

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Wednesday officially kicked off the World Batik Summit 2011 at the Jakarta Convention Center.

In his opening remarks, the head of state said batik could become a tool in Indonesia’s diplomacy in the world to boost its image. "We can use batik as a diplomatic tool to cultivate friendly relations with the international world," Yudhoyono said.

He said diplomacy was one area in which batik could play nationally beneficial role since it has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. The Indonesian people must be proud of batik because it has won international recognition as a cultural product of distinct beauty, the president said.

"I love batik, I like batik, and I often wear batik," he said.

"We all must become national ambassadors," the president said.

Another area where batik was of great significance was the economy. According to Yudhoyono, batik sales in Indonesia in 2010 reached Rp3.9 trillion, or significantly up from Rp2.5 trillion four years ago.

The country’s batik exports rose from US$14.3 million in 2006 to US$22.3 million in 2010. "I see a chance of bigger and higher increase," he said.

The president urged batik producers to manage the batik industry’s waste properly in order to help preserve the environment. The president hoped the blue print of batik preservation and development for the period 2012-2025 to become an awakening point for Indonesian batik in the international forum.

The World Batik Summit 2011 is being organized from September 28 to October 2, 2011. The Summit’s theme is "Indonesia: Global Home of Batik".

The Summit’s activities include a series of conferences and a batik exhibition. A UNESCO representative will be among the speakers at the conference.