Speech by H.E. Wiryono Sastrohandoyo
Ambassador of Indonesia
delivered

At the Joint Stamp Issue between Australia and Indonesia
Melbourne, 22 March 1996

Mr Maurice Williams,
Chairman of the Australian Postal Corporation,
Mr Jonathan Parapak,
Secretary General of the Department of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication, Ladies and Gentleman,

I am delighted to join you in this launching of the joint stamp issue between Australia and Indonesia. I am grateful for the invitation. Concurrently, a similar ceremony will take place later today in Bandung, Indonesia, where the Minister for Tourism, Post and Telecommunication and the Managing Director of Australia Post will jointly preside over the launching in which my counterpart, the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia will also be in attendance.

The launching of the joint stamp issue, a philatelic first, is another important development in Australia - Indonesia cooperation to promote not only closer postal cooperation but also closer understanding and mutual respect.

The choice of the theme for the stamps of the Indonesian Bear Cuscus and the Australian Spotted Cuscus is very appropriate as it shows that our two countries do share similar fauna and, being geographically close neighbours, that is only natural. While geographically close, and having similar fauna and flora, we are culturally different and therefore, to a certain extent, strangers to each other. The issuance of these joint stamps will make people in our two countries more aware of the need to learn and know about each other's culture and way of life. I have to admit, however, that only now have I myself come to know that both our countries are home to members of the cuscus family.

Therefore, I trust that the display and the sale of the joint stamps will generate in people of our two countries not only an appreciation of the similarity in fauna of our countries, but also an interest in learning about each other's lifestyle and culture.

On the Indonesian side, the exhibition of Indonesian stamps at the UPU Collection will give visitors an opportunity to appreciate the varied aspects of Indonesian life and culture.

Similarly, I am confident that the World Youth Philatelic Exhibition held in Bandung will exhibit some Australian stamps and through these stamps Indonesians would be encouraged to learn more about Australian culture and lifestyles.

I believe that our two countries should continue to try to find more joint activities that would promote better understanding and closer relations between our two countries and peoples.

The nature of international relations today has changed so much that diplomacy is no longer the sole domain of diplomats, but almost any organisation or individual can contribute to the promotion of better relations.

We now have not only government to government relations but also university to university cooperation, company to company business relations, inter-city sisterships as well as people to people relations, which together I believe would strongly contribute to better understanding and mutual respect between our two nations.

I may call what we are doing today 'stamp diplomacy', in the sense that these stamps will serve not only as an effective means of sending letters but will be an effective instrument of education and promotion of understanding as well as closer cooperation.

In conclusion, may 1 commend the postal services of the two countries who have taken the initiative to launch this Joint stamp issue. May I thank you once again for inviting Mrs Wiryono and myself to this ceremony and may thousands of these stamps be used as carriers of the message of friendship and understanding between our two countries.