Some activities to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

Indonesia marks 81 years of independence, looks ahead to 70 years of diplomatic relations with Laos

The rich coffee traditions of Indonesia took centre stage on Thursday evening as Indonesian and Lao friends gathered to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
Held at the Crowne Plaza Vientiane, the Diplomatic Reception brought together Laos’ Minister of Health Mrs Baykham Khattiya and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Phongsavanh Sisoulath as Guests of Honour, along with other senior Lao officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organisations, business leaders and other prominent figures from Lao society and the international community.
 

Some activities to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

This year’s celebration adopted the theme “Kopi Nusantara” (Archipelago Coffee), offering guests a taste of Indonesia through three of its best-known coffee origins: Gayo Coffee from Aceh, Toraja Coffee from South Sulawesi, and Bali Coffee.
Beyond its role as a popular beverage, coffee represents an important part of Indonesia’s cultural and economic landscape. With its diverse landscapes and coffee-growing regions, Indonesia is home to distinctive coffee traditions that have become increasingly recognised internationally.
The theme also offered a natural connection to growing Indonesia–Laos cooperation in the coffee sector, including recent efforts to promote Huaphan coffee through knowledge sharing and sustainable agricultural cooperation.
Reflecting on the year, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Achmad Dahlan highlighted the growing momentum of Indonesia–Laos relations across political, economic, cultural and people-to-people cooperation.

The year 2026 has seen a number of significant high-level engagements, including the visit of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Muhammad Anis Matta to Laos, the visit of Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane to Jakarta, and the visit of Chairwoman of the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK)  Isma Yatun to Laos. These exchanges have helped to strengthen bilateral dialogue and institutional cooperation.
Economic engagement has also continued to gain momentum. Throughout the year, Indonesian and Lao businesses have been connected through initiatives promoting trade, investment, tourism and agriculture, while the Wonderful Indonesia 2026 programme in Luang Prabang expanded Indonesia’s cultural and economic outreach beyond the capital.
At the community level, language and cultural programmes have continued to bring the two peoples closer. Bahasa Indonesia bagi Penutur Asing/BIPA (Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers) classes have provided Lao participants with an opportunity to learn Indonesian while gaining a deeper appreciation of Indonesian culture.
Cultural activities, alumni programmes, culinary promotion and other people-to-people initiatives have further strengthened the human connection between the two countries.
These efforts take on added significance as Indonesia and Laos prepare to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. This milestone will provide an opportunity to celebrate seven decades of friendship while looking ahead to new opportunities for cooperation.
“The strength of Indonesia–Laos relations lie not only in our government-to-government engagement, but also in the connections between our peoples, communities and businesses,” CDA Achmad Dahlan said. “As we approach the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, we look forward to building on this strong foundation and bringing our two countries even closer together.”
The evening concluded in an atmosphere of friendship, as attendees celebrated Indonesia’s national day and reaffirmed the longstanding bonds between the Republic of Indonesia and the Lao PDR.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update September 28, 2026)