Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Education and Culture Republic of Indonesia Republic of Indonesia PRESS INFORMATION Subject: H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle (The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany) Visit to Borobudur Temple Compounds on 10 February, 2013 On 10 February 2013, H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, will visit the World Heritage listed Borobudur Temple Compounds. Since 2011, the Federal Republic of Germany has provided generous financial contributions through UNESCO to support the Indonesian government in their research and conservation efforts at Borobudur. H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle will be accompanied by representatives from the German Embassy in Jakarta, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO and will visit the Borobudur Temple to meet those involved in the conservation efforts and see some of the conservation challenges and results first hand. H.E. Mrs. Wiendu Nuryanti (Vice Minister for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture), outlined that ‘the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia has been implementing a number of significant conservation actions for the preservation of the Borobudur Temple Compounds. The conservation efforts in the aftermath of the Mt Merapi eruption brought solidarity from various countries, showcasing goodwill and support for the protection of the cultural heritage of humanity. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has generously supported our actions, providing financial contributions through UNESCO for the implementation of research and conservation techniques at the Borobudur Temple since 2011. In this spirit, we welcome the visit of H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle to the Borobudur temple, and hope our cooperation to conserve this wonderful World Heritage site can continue in the future. H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle (The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany), commented that ‘the German government is very pleased to support efforts to conserve the Borobudur Temple, especially as we consider it a great symbol of the Indonesian national motto of ‘Unity in Diversity’, involving a rich tapestry of religious beliefs and culture. I would like to commend the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, UNESCO and the people of Borobudur for their efforts in the recovery of the temple following the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption. We are happy to support the Indonesian government’s ongoing conservation efforts, and hope our support acts not only to help preserve the Temple for future generations, but also to further strengthen cooperation between our two countries. I very much look forward to visiting the temple and meeting with Indonesian experts involved in the conservation of the temple. H.E. Mr. Dian Triansyah Djani (Director General for America and Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) conveyed that “the Indonesian Government highly appreciates the continuous support by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany in the conservation of the Borobudur Temple. The visit by the Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Westerwelle, symbolizes commitment of the government and the people of Germany to celebrate one of the world’s greatest symbols of harmony in diversity. This represents a shared value between Germany and Indonesia, two countries that work together in partnership for the good of our two peoples and the good of humanity at large”. Mr. Hubert Gijzen (Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office Jakarta) commented that ‘UNESCO would like to convey its sincere appreciation to the Indonesian authorities, especially the dedicated work of the Ministry of Education and Culture and Borobudur Conservation Office, for their proactive initiatives in the conservation of the World Heritage listed Borobudur Temple Compounds. UNESCO also wishes to express its sincere thanks to the Federal Republic of Germany for its continued financial support to conservation activities at Borobudur, which have resulted in a number of significant conservation, research and capacity building achievements I would like to stress that the issue is not only how to preserve the exceptional site, but to demonstrate how culture contributes to sustainable development through appropriate conservation and management with our partners and all stakeholders involved. Safeguarding the significance of the region’s rich cultural heritage is directly tied with the livelihoods of the local communities and their future generations. Economic sustainability in this area relies on the highest possible conservation quality of the sites, their environments, their explicit characters and unique assets, which all contribute to the cultural and economic well-being of local people. UNESCO hence remains committed to assisting the Indonesian Government in safeguarding the Borobudur Temple Compounds World Heritage site, and hopes to continue to support the fruitful and beneficial cooperation between UNESCO, the Republic of Indonesia and the Federal Republic of Germany in the future’. Mr. Purnomo Siswoprasetijo (President Director, PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko) stated ‘following the 2010 eruption the temple and surrounding area were badly affected by the volcanic ash of Mt. Merapi. Many people’s livelihoods were also impacted when the temple was closed due to the ash. Efforts to remove the ash, and ongoing conservation of the temple, will help ensure that this remarkable temple can be visited by local and national tourists alike, as well as bringing benefit to the local economy and people. We hope the visit of the H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle will not only strengthen the cooperation between the Government of Indonesia and Germany but also promote the World Cultural Heritage sites in Indonesia’ Further Information: The 2010 eruption of Mt Merapi in Central Java posed a serious threat to the conservation of the World Heritage listed Borobudur Temple Compounds. Following the eruption a 45mm thick layer of volcanic ash covered the precious temple and blocked its drainage system, potentially causing long term damage to the World Heritage site. Responding to the disaster the Indonesian authorities, in partnership with UNESCO and other partners, put in place an action plan to assess and act upon the serious conservation issues affecting the site and to ensure the long term preservation of the temple for generations to come. The Federal Republic of Germany has been a key supporter of the conservation of the temple. In November 2011 the government of Germany provided 38,229 Euros to fund the “Preliminary Diagnostic Research for the Restoration of the Borobudur Temple Compounds and Intensive In- Situ Restoration Training” within UNESCO’s umbrella project entitled ‘Save the Borobudur World Heritage Site: Emergency Operation for the Safeguarding of the Borobudur Temple Compounds from the Damage caused by the Mt. Merapi Eruption and Revitalization of the Local Community Livelihood in Cultural Industries and Heritage Tourism’. In May 2012, the Federal Republic of Germany provided further funding in the order of 106,000 Euros for continued activities under UNESCO’s project entitled ‘First Stage Restoration/Conservation Work at the Borobudur Temple Compounds’. Thanks to generous funding of the Federal Republic of Germany a number of significant conservation, research and capacity building actions have already been achieved in January, June, October and December 2012 respectively. Four separate missions to Borobudur Temple Compounds Borobudur were undertaken as part of the project, all of which were supervised by Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture through the Borobudur Conservation Office (BCO) and supported by the UNESCO Office in Jakarta. The missions were completed by an expert team from a number of different disciplines, including stone conservation experts Professor Dr. Hans Leisen (Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences) and Dr Von Plehwe-Leisen (Cologne University of Applied Sciences), a chemical engineering specialist Dr Eberhard Wendler (Director of the Munich Stone Conservation Laboratories), and a structural engineer Dr Ichita Shimoda (Technical Advisor for the Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor Monument). Contact Information Ministry of Education and Culture German Embassy, Jakarta Marsis Sutopo Michael Hoffmann Head of Borobudur Conservation Office Head of Press and Cultural Affairs Jalan Badrawati First Secretary Ph: +62-293-788175 Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Email: [email protected] Jl. M. H. Thamrin No.1, Jakarta 10310 Ph: +62-21-3985 5126 (direct) E-Mail: [email protected] PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko UNESCO Office, Jakarta Achmad Muchlis Masanori Nagaoka Corporate Secretary Programme Specialist for Culture Ph: +62 274 496 402 Ph: +6221 7399818 #826 Email: [email protected] Email : [email protected] .