East Java DPRD and St. Petersburg Legislature Explore Cooperation
Surabaya (ANTARA) - The East Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) received a visit from a delegation of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Russia, to explore opportunities for cooperation in tourism and culture.
DPRD East Java Chairman M. Musyafak Rouf welcomed the visit and assessed that this step presents an opportunity to strengthen inter-regional relations through cultural exchange and tourism sector development.
“We express our appreciation for the visit from the St. Petersburg Legislature. This is an effort to build cooperation between the East Java Provincial DPRD and the legislative body in Russia, particularly in cultural exchange and regional potential development,” Musyafak said in Surabaya on Friday.
The visit was a historic moment as it was one of the first visits by a foreign legislature to the East Java DPRD. The St. Petersburg delegation was led directly by the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, Alexander Belsky.
During the meeting, which lasted about an hour, both parties discussed a number of cooperation opportunities, including the development of historical tourism between Surabaya and St. Petersburg. Musyafak noted that both cities share similarities as regions with rich historical records of struggle.
“Surabaya is known as the City of Heroes. St. Petersburg also has many historical records and figures of struggle. There are shared historical values that can serve as a bridge for cooperation between the two regions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Alexander Belsky stated that East Java is one of the regions receiving attention in their visit agenda to Indonesia. “Cooperation between these two regions is highly potential. We have discussed various opportunities that can be realised together,” he said.
He expressed hope that the cooperation would not only proceed at the regional government level but also involve legislative institutions from both regions. According to him, collaboration between regional parliaments can strengthen relations and open more opportunities in both cultural and economic fields.
As part of the visit, the St. Petersburg delegation also toured the office, including viewing the DPRD East Java plenary session hall. As a gesture of respect, DPRD East Java presented souvenirs in the form of distinctive East Java batik and a blangkon traditional headdress.