Congress on dialects held

DENPASAR: A congress on local dialects is being held here, participated in by 200 experts, Balinese language teachers, students and government officials.

Antara quoted Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro as saying when opening the two-day congress yesterday that local dialects could serve as a communication means for development programs.

In addition, he said local languages contribute greatly to the national language. "It's local dialects that enrich our national language," he said.

At least 19 speakers will present their papers in the congress, including Director General of Culture Edi Sedyawati. (swe)