Lost in translation: Papua New Guinea wins the language Olympics

Yahoo – AFP, Andrew BEATTY, 15 November 2018

Papua New Guinea is a linguist's paradise with one in 10 of the world's
languages found here

If you are travelling to Papua New Guinea, you don't need to pack a phrasebook, you need to bring an entire library. With 841 living tongues and a colourful creole lingua franca, this Pacific nation is the undisputed world champion of linguistic diversity.

From Pii in the mist-cloaked highlands to Toaripi on the shores of the gleaming Coral Sea, Papua New Guinea is a linguist's paradise with one in 10 of the world's languages found here.

The number of speakers of individual languages can range from a handful of people in the jungle -- not much more than an extended family -- to millions spread across provinces and terrains.

Experts point to the country's relatively weak central government, deep valleys, almost impenetrable vegetation and roughly 600 islands to explain why a country of eight million people and smaller than Spain has such a bounty of languages, when 46 million Spaniards -- for all practical purposes -- make do with a dozen or so.

Many of these diverse tongues have developed undisturbed over tens of thousands of years, making Papua New Guinea something of a linguistic Galapagos.

To get by day-to-day, Papua New Guineans typically speak three to five languages, and understand many more dialects.

But ironically they can sometimes struggle to render a simple sentence in one language into their mother tongue -- particularly when discussing numbers over 10 or when rural-based languages are deployed to describe life in the big city.

When asked to say "there are more than 800 languages in Papua New Guinea" in Vula'a -- which has a couple of thousand speakers in the central province -- Port Moresby office worker Sonia Pegi has to call her dad just to make sure she has it right.

Graphic charting social indicators for Papua New Guinea, venue

 for the APEC summit

'Pidgin English'

The country's most widely spoken language is pidgin English or Tok Pisin, although this being Papua New Guinea, Tok Pisin only claimed its lingua franca status after beating out a pretender in the form of semi-creole Austronesian language Hiri Motu.

Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu and English are the country's three official languages.

"Tok Pisin is derived 80-85 percent from English," said Jenny Homerang who is starting a pidgin language course at the Australian National University in Canberra. "But you also have bits of German and bits of Portuguese."

In fact, Tok Pisin is something of a linguistic sponge, soaking up words from languages as distant as Taiwanese and Zulu, which dominates the southeastern corner of Africa.

Suspected sorcerers -- who in Papua New Guinea can often be the victims of extreme violence -- are referred to as "sangoma", a word familiar to anyone living in Johannesburg or Durban.

Tok Pisin is also a deeply expressive language: you can 'bagarap' your car in an accident, or relieve yourself in the 'sithaus'.

But sometimes things get lost in translation. 'Ol' means 'they', not 'all', which can confuse a first-time visitor.

Similarly, 'lukim yu bihan' is not an instruction to turn around, but a way of saying 'goodbye'.

Jokowi Signals Break With ‘Thousand Friends’ Foreign Policy

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardhy, Nov 17, 2014

President Joko Widodo listens during the 2nd Asean-US Summit, part of the 25th
 Asean and Related Summits at the Myanmar International Convention Center in
Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Nov. 13, 2014. (EPA Photo/Azhar Rahim)

Jakarta. Following a week of foreign visits President Joko Widodo has returned to Indonesia and given a strong signal he plans to break from his predecessor’s a “thousand friends, zero enemies” foreign policy.

The president, fresh from a series of multilateral meetings last week — including APEC in Beijing, the Asean Summit in Myanmar and the G-20 in Australia — told reporters upon arrival in Jakarta on Sunday he would prioritize diplomatic relationships that provided significant benefits for Indonesia.

“Our [foreign] policy is free and active, befriend all countries but [we will put first] those who give the most benefits to the people,” Joko said. “What’s the point of having many friends but we only get the disadvantages? many friends should bring many benefits.”

The comments follow similar sentiment from foreign minister Retno Marsudi last month. Indonesia’s first female foreign minister said “pro-people” diplomacy would be the soul of Indonesia’s foreign policy, a shift in focus from former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s principle of a “thousand friends, zero enemies” — which was translated into the country’s increasing presence and roles in international forums.

Joko said on Sunday Indonesia would still maintain communication with all countries, but would not invest much time in diplomatic relationships that were not beneficial.

“It it’s not beneficial, I won’t do it,” Joko said. “We’ll still meet but not too much.”

Last week’s meetings were the first chance for Joko — a former furniture seller and small-city mayor — to show his diplomatic chops since taking office on Oct. 20.

Joko used his time at the Asean summit to showcase his vision of turning Indonesia, as the world’s largest archipelago, into a global “maritime axis”. At the G-20 summit in Brisbane at the weekend he again pitched how he would make Indonesia’s business climate friendlier for investors by implementing tax reforms and cutting fuel subsidies to pay for infrastructure investment.

Chinese Ambassador: Maritime Links Key in Boosting Ties With Indonesia

Xie Feng speaks at length about his thoughts on President Joko Widodo, the historic treatment of ethnic Chinese, and the future of bilateral relations as both countries pursue parallel visions

Jakarta Globe, Nov 13, 2014

President Joko Widodo (left) walks with China’s President Xi Jinping after
 arriving to take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders
 meeting at Yanqi Lake, north of Beijing on Tuesday. (AFP Photo/Greg Baker)

On the eve of President Joko Widodo’s departure for Beijing to attend this week’s APEC Summit and meet a number of world leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping, the Chinese ambassador to Indonesia, Xie Feng, was interviewed by the Chinese newspaper Global Times.

In the interview, Ambassador Xie, who has been in the country since June, talked about his impression of Indonesia, his interaction with the new president, economic ties between China and Indonesia, and the correlation between Jokowi’s vision of a “maritime axis” and President Xi’s plan to build a “21st-centurty maritime silk road.”

With permission, the Jakarta Globe is republishing the interview, which first appeared on Nov. 6. It was edited for style only.

Global Times: Global media said that Mr. Joko Widodo won voters’ support because he’s a ‘People’s President.’ After your arrival in Jakarta, have you had any contact with him and what are your impressions about him?

Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng. (Photo
 courtesy of the Embassy of the People’s
 Republic of China)

Ambassador Xie: In less than a decade, Mr. Joko Widodo’s journey from being a furniture businessman to president is truly a political miracle in Indonesia and even worldwide. In my first week as ambassador, I had the honor of meeting with him briefly and was deeply impressed by his sincerity, easy-going style and kindness. After that I had two in-depth conversations with him and paid courtesy calls on him on several occasions with visiting Chinese delegations after he won the presidency. I believe President Joko Widodo is a firm, visionary, pro-people and down-to-earth leader, with a clear sense of purpose. His policy agenda has a lot in common with that of Chinese leaders. These include governance in the interest of people, pushing forward reform, developing economy, improving public well-being and fighting corruption. The Indonesian people have quite high expectations for him.

President Joko Widodo told me that he much values the face-to-face communications with the public. He believes such communications should happen day in and day out and this is the only way to understand what people need. That’s why he frequently visits traditional markets, rural villages and street food vendors to talk to and eat together with people. In the Javanese language, there is a specific word to describe his work style, blusukan. It means impromptu visit, which is akin to what we call “reach out to the grassroots.”

Global Times: What does President Joko Widodo’s trip to China mean to the APEC Summit and China-Indonesia relations?

Ambassador Xie: Indonesia was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. In 1950s, China, Indonesia and other Asian and African countries initiated the Bandung Spirit. At the heart of it is peaceful coexistence, seeking common ground and shelving differences. The Bandung Spirit remains a significant norm in state-to-state relations today. China today is Indonesia’s largest trading partner, its No. 1 source of overseas tourists and a major destination for Indonesian students. In October last year, President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Indonesia. He and Indonesian leaders agreed to lift the China-Indonesia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This has laid a solid foundation and mapped out a blueprint for the long-run development of our bilateral relations. In 2014, Indonesia’s general elections year, our bilateral relations have had a smooth transition and got off to a good start. President Joko Widodo attaches great importance to China-Indonesia relations. He has chosen China for his first overseas visit after inauguration.

Indonesia was the birth place of APEC Bogor Goals. Last year, Indonesia hosted its second APEC Summit in 20 years, and raised three major topics including achieving the Bogor Goals, promoting sustainable and equitable growth and improving connectivity. China actively echoed and supported these ambitions. We look forward to closer coordination and cooperation with Indonesia for positive outcomes out of this year’s APEC Summit, including launching the process of the Asia Pacific Free Trade Area (FTAAP), promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth, and improving connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Global Times: It’s almost five months since your arrival in Jakarta. Can you share with us some of your impressions about Indonesia?

Ambassador Xie: I’ve been deeply impressed by Indonesia in many ways.

First, Indonesia is a big country with rich resource endowment. Indonesia has around 250 million population. It is the world’s largest archipelagic state, with over 17,000 islands. It takes 9 hours to fly from its east to west. That’s roughly the distance between London and Tehran. Indonesia has abundant natural resources and is known as the Emerald of the Equator. My Indonesian friends often say with great pride that ‘please don’t ask what we have, just ask what we don’t have!’

Second, diversity and inclusiveness. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world, yet it’s also known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. We Chinese value ‘harmony but not uniformity.’ In the same vein, the Indonesian people believe in ‘unity in diversity.’

Meanwhile, Indonesia has around 20 million Chinese Indonesians, that’s the largest ethnic Chinese community outside China. Over the past hundreds of years, generations of Chinese migrants sailed to Indonesia. They settled down and took root in this country. They survived the tribulations yet always worked hard to pursue a better life. Today, many of them have built a successful career and become social elites. They have made major contribution to Indonesia’s economic, social development and cultural prosperity, and have acted as a unique bridge in promoting China-Indonesia friendly exchanges and cooperation. Since 1998, successive Indonesian governments have made active efforts to improve the social status of Chinese Indonesians and promote ethnic harmony. In 2000, President Abdurrahman Wahid lifted the ban on Chinese culture and customs. In 2002, President Megawati Soekarnoputri announced the Chinese Spring Festival as a public holiday in Indonesia. In 2006, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) passed a new law on citizenship, annulling the previous legal distinction between native and non-native Indonesians. It marked an end to many discriminatory policies against Chinese Indonesians. In March this year, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono repealed the discriminatory term for the Chinese Indonesians through legislation and adopted ‘Tiongkok’ and ‘Tionghoa’ to refer to China and Chinese Indonesians respectively. This past August, Indonesia’s first Museum on Hakka history and culture was completed. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and I attended the opening ceremony. In his remarks, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke highly of the Chinese Indonesians’ outstanding contribution to Indonesia’s independence, development and progress.

Third, goodwill and kindness. The Indonesian people are warm, hospitable and are always ready to help others. Their happiness index is quite high.

Fourth, great potential. Indonesia’s population, landmass and GDP are all over 40 percent of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states combined. It’s the only Southeast Asian member of the G20 and is the 16th-largest economy around the world.

Global Times: China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner. Where is the growth point for the bilateral commercial cooperation in the future?

Ambassador Xie: China and Indonesia are both major emerging markets and developing countries. Our economies are highly complimentary and the cooperation potential is huge. Two-way investment will be a bright spot in our business cooperation in the years ahead. And infrastructure is expected to be a new growth driver in this regard. My Indonesian friends told me that the cargo freight from Papua to Jakarta is three times the cost of shipping the cargo from Shanghai to Jakarta. Nearly 50 million population in Indonesia have no access to electricity. Infrastructure is a major bottleneck holding back Indonesia’s economic growth. The Indonesian new government is implementing the ‘ocean highway’ strategy, and planning to build 2,000 kilometers of road, 10 new airports, 10 new sea ports and 10 industrial parks. The purpose is to promote air, land and sea connectivity, and improve energy, telecommunications and transport infrastructure. In my recent meetings with Indonesian leaders, responsible officials of economic departments and entrepreneurs, I could feel their strong desire to enhance cooperation with China.

Global Times: President Joko Widodo vows to develop marine economy and turn Indonesia into a global maritime axis. What’s the purpose of this strategy? What does it mean to China-Indonesia relations?

Ambassador Xie: Indonesia sits between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and connects Asia and Oceania. It controls a number of strategic chokepoints, such as the Malacca Straits, the Lombok Strait and the Sunda Strait. In history, Indonesia was a major hub in the maritime silk road, with a rich legacy of friendly exchanges between our two countries. The city of Semarang has been named after the well-known Chinese navigator Admiral Zheng He. It retains much heritage of Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas in the 15th century.

In his inauguration speech, President Joko Widodo called for building Indonesia into a maritime power. This policy agenda focuses on raising maritime awareness, building ocean highways, promoting maritime connectivity, developing marine economy, upholding maritime security and conducting maritime diplomacy. And the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs has been established. In his visit to Indonesia in October last year, President Xi Jinping announced the strategic initiative of building a “21st century maritime silk road.” This is to develop a ‘silk road’ spirit of peace, friendship, openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation among China, Indonesia and other coastal countries of the maritime silk road. The purpose is to promote policy communication, transport connectivity, trade relations, monetary circulation and understanding between the people, and build a community of common destinies. This shows the strategic visions of Chinese and Indonesian leaders complement each other. Maritime cooperation will become a ‘blue bond’ connecting our two countries’ development strategies. It is expected to be a new highlight and a new driver for strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership and deepening the practical cooperation between our two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks past US President Barack Obama

as Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana and other world leaders

and their spouses get into position for a family photo before a banquet in Beijing

on Nov. 10, 2014. (EPA Photo/Sergei Ilnitsky)

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Symbolic: Indonesia’s president asked to stand between two of the world’s most powerful leaders

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardi, Nov 12, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks past US President Barack Obama
 as Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana and other world leaders
 and their spouses get into position for a family photo before a banquet in Beijing
on Nov. 10, 2014. (EPA Photo/Sergei Ilnitsky)

The spotlight is on Indonesia, analysts say, as president Joko Widodo stood in the front row between two of the world’s most powerful leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barrack Obama during Monday’s photo session at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

“This is flattering for Indonesia,” University of Indonesia international relations expert Hikmahanto Juwana said on Tuesday. “[As host], China has the right to say who stands where [in the photo shoot].”

The placement, he said, signals China’s acknowledgement of Indonesia’s important role in the global political climate.

“Only [leaders] of important countries get to stand next to the host,” he said adding that during the 2011 East Asia Summit, which Indonesia hosted, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also got to decide who stands where in a photo shoot of world leaders.

“China needs [Indonesia] to mitigate tensions between [China] and many countries, including the US,” Hikmahanto said of the subtle meanings behind the placement of Monday’s session.

President Joko must play this important role, Hikmahanto said, as his predecessor Yudhoyono did during his administration, with the world looking to Indonesia as a diplomatic force, which can ease tensions between China and the rest of the world.

“But the president also suggested to the international community that [Indonesia] will carry out that role as long as we don’t sacrifice our national interests,” he said.

Political observer from the National Strategic Studies Institute, Irwan Suhanto said Indonesia’s strategic location also makes many countries to see Indonesia as an important ally.

“Jokowi is implicitly saying to the world be friends with Indonesia if you want to move forward,” he said.

Joko said he is surprised to find himself standing between Xi and Obama despite the presence of leaders from more developed and powerful countries.

“I was at the center. This is a symbol. People are fighting to make friends with Indonesia,” the president said.

The leverage had allowed Indonesia to be firmer in pushing its own agendas.

Responding to China’s proposal of creating an Asia-Pacific free-trade zone, Joko said Indonesia will not accommodate one-sided needs.

“We don’t want to support [the proposal] hastily. We must calculate first our products. What will benefit us. We don’t want to be trapped by their needs,” he said.

The president said he was more in favor of a partial implementation of the free-trade area, protecting industries such as fisheries and rattan, which in Indonesia are produced by individuals instead of large companies.

“We must be firm when others want us to open [the Indonesian market]. We don’t want others to flood our country [with their products],” Joko said. “I have said this quite openly that they were shocked. I want to get straight to the point, no time for diplomacy.”

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'Indonesia has played an extraordinary role in promoting pluralism,' American president says

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardhy, Nov 10, 2014

US President Barack Obama, right, gestures during a bilateral meeting with
 President Joko Widodo, left, in Beijing on Monday. (Reuters Photo/Kevin Lamarque)

Beijing. President Joko Widodo has promised to continue combating terrorism and extremists as he met US President Barack Obama for the first time on Monday.

Joko and Obama were attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing this week, before departing to Myanmar to attend the East Asia Summit on Wednesday.

This is Joko’s first international summit as head of state, testing the former furniture businessman’s diplomatic skills.

Obama praised his Indonesian counterpart, calling Indonesia a model for nations with large Muslim populations.

“As one of the world’s largest democracies and also one with a large Islamic population, Indonesia has played an extraordinary role in promoting pluralism and respect for religious diversity,” Obama said, thanking Indonesia for its efforts to isolate extremists.

Obama said his country was keen on increasing its partnerships with Indonesia, stressing his interest in Joko’s flagship programs and reforms.

“I know that President Joko Widodo has a strong agenda and ambition toward reform and increasing the welfare of Indonesians. The United States is willing to become a partner in this reform process,” he said.

The US president noted Joko’s ambition to transform Indonesia into a world maritime powerhouse, saying that Indonesia could play a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Joko said he would continue to forge cooperation with the United States to combat terrorism.

“We will continue it. Not just from a security perspective, but also through a cultural and religious approach to isolate and eliminate radicalism and extremism,” he said.

Indonesia a key partner

The United States has been seeking closer ties with Southeast Asian countries as a defense against what it sees as China’s aggression in pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea, as well as Beijing’s increasing economic influence.

Indonesia is seen as a key partner in this goal, as shown by Joko’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

To maintain relations with the new Indonesian president, Obama sent a delegation led by Secretary of State John Kerry to attend Joko’s inauguration.

However, Washington is competing with Beijing to draw Indonesia to its side as Chinese President Xi Jinping met first with Joko on Sunday, telling the new Indonesian president that links between the two nations ran deep in history, while quoting an Indonesian proverb to demonstrate emotional ties.

“Joko has a big challenge to maximize gains from Indonesia’s relations with big powers while maintaining neutrality,” said Bantarto Bandoro, an international relations expert at the Indonesian Defense University.

“But I think Indonesia has all the cards to do it as long as we play it correctly,” he added.

Shinzo Abe, Vladimir Putin

Later on Monday, Joko also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also expressed an interest in Joko’s maritime ambitions.

Indonesia and Japan “are both maritime countries, both countries must contribute to peace and justice,” Abe said.

“The Japanese government wishes to make some contribution in [Indonesia’s maritime] industry and the development of human resources,” he added.

Another world leader who held talks with Joko was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sought to forge stronger economic partnerships with the new Indonesian government.

Partnerships between the two countries have mainly centered on the defense industry.

“Indonesia and Russia have good partnerships and histories,” Putin said.

“There is slow growth in terms of our economic partnerships. I hope in this forum we can discuss how to address this shortcoming.”

Joko welcomed more investment and partnerships from Russia, saying it had a lot to offer in developing Indonesia’s energy, transportation, agriculture and manufacturing potential.

In his maiden speech at an international forum on Sunday, Joko pitched his country as a prime investment destination to regional business leaders, pledging to slash fuel subsidies that have crimped the government’s ability to spend on social and infrastructure development.

Describing the $27 billion that Jakarta spends annually to hold down fuel prices as “huge,” Joko told the APEC CEO Summit that the savings would be used to build much-needed ports, railways and other infrastructure for the sprawling nation and help improve the livelihoods of rural residents.

Additional reporting from Reuters

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, second from right, and Chinese President Xi
Jinping, second from left, attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Jason Lee)

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Australia PM Announces Terror Attack Compensation in Bali

Jakarta Globe – AFP, October 9, 2013

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks to the media next to bombing
victim Australian Peter Hughes (to Abbott’s left) in front of the Bali bombing
memorial after laying a wreath at the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali
bombing, in Kuta, Bali, on October 9, 2013. (EPA Photo)

Kuta, Bali. Prime Minister Tony Abbott Wednesday announced a scheme to compensate Australian victims of overseas terror attacks and their families as he laid a wreath at the site of the 2002 Bali bombings.

Flanked by his wife Margie and Bali governor I Made Mangku Pastika, Abbott bowed his head during the solemn ceremony at a stone monument that honours the 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, who died in the attacks.

Abbott said he was making the visit, after his attendance at a summit on Bali, to “honour the dead, to commiserate with those who were injured on that night and who still bear the scars, physical and mental”.

Eighty-eight Australians were among those killed in the attacks by Islamist militants on a nightclub and bar on the party strip of Kuta on the Indonesian resort island.

Abbott’s visit to the monument, which stands across from the site of the Sari Club that was attacked in 2002, was his first since becoming prime minister last month and came just days before the 11th anniversary of the attacks.

“The long campaign to provide a measure of justice to the victims of terrorist atrocities overseas is coming to a close,” he said, as he announced the compensation scheme.

He said victims of overseas terror attacks and their next of kin could apply for Aus$75,000 (US$70,700) in compensation, in a scheme he said would cost the government about Aus$30 million.

Abbott also recalled that he was in Bali during a second terror attack in 2005, and had volunteered in a local hospital to help victims.

“We have had support all the way through with regard to medical, but there’s never been an actual compensation payout,” Glenn Cosman, who was hit by shrapnel in the attack on the Sari Club, told ABC radio.

“Many people have always asked that question of me — what sort of compensation did you get. And the answer has always been nothing.”

People will be able to apply for the compensation from October 21 and Abbott said it would benefit around 300 individuals and families.

The scheme to compensate victims of overseas terror attacks was introduced by former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, but it was not retroactive.

Abbot’s plan will also apply to those caught up in other terror attacks, so people affected by the attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 and the 2005 attack in Bali will be able to apply.

Abbott was in Indonesia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, that ended Tuesday, and he will now head for more regional meetings in Brunei.

Agence France-Presse

SBY Surprises Putin With ‘Happy Birthday’ Performance

Jakarta Globe, ID/Novy Lumanauw, October 7, 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, far right, sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to
 Russian President Vladimir Putin at an APEC luncheon in Nusa Dua,
Bali, on October 7, 2013. (Photo courtesy of @SBYudhoyono)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday surprised world leaders on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, by singing and strumming out “Happy Birthday” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin, who turned 61 on Monday, arrived at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport midday. He then went to a lunch at the Sofitel Hotel with all 20 heads of state participating in the conference.

As other leaders extended their birthday greetings to the Russian president, a guitar-wielding Yudhoyono appeared with Indonesian media mogul Chairul Tanjung, who was holding a cake in his hands.

“I’m sorry — I didn’t immediately receive intelligence information about your birthday,” Yudhoyono told Putin. “I should have sung a song for you with my guitar as soon as you arrived in Bali.”

The Indonesian president then proceeded to carefully croon “Happy Birthday.”

Putin, obviously touched by the display, blew out his candles, shook hands with Yudhoyono and brought him in for an embrace. Putin said that he was delighted by the “surprise” and thanked Yudhoyono for the song.

Putin was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Oct. 7, 1952.

Yudhoyono is known to have a penchant for singing. He has released three albums in collaboration with local musicians and penned most of the songs himself.

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APEC opens two-day summit in Bali

APEC opens two-day summit in Bali

Deutsche Welle, 7 October 2013

Leaders from Asia-Pacific nations and territories have gathered on the Indonesian island of Bali to attend the APEC summit . Notable by his absence is US President Barack Obama.

 Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivers his speech during
 the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in
 Nusa Dua, Indonesia resort island of Bali October 6, 2013. REUTERS/Beawiharta

The leaders from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) were expected to discuss reducing trade and investment barriers and speeding up regional economic integration and infrastructure development.

Opening the summit, which is taking place under high security, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday called for closer cooperation in the region.

"We all feel the pain of the crisis," Yudhoyono said. "It is therefore important to develop closer cooperation towards accelerating economic growth and global recovery."

Among the leaders attending are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and new Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to arrive on Monday

Obama cancellation

However, US President Barack Obama, who had hoped to use the summit to iron out issues regarding the free-trade pact he is promoting, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), cancelled his attendance at the summit because of the current US government shutdown over a Congress budget row. He is being represented at the summit by Secretary of State John Kerry.

Despite Obama's absence, twelve APEC members were expected to continue work on the pact, which the US president sees as underlining a US "pivot" towards Asia as a counterbalance to China's increased influence in the region.

The twelve members involved in the TPP talks on the sidelines of the APEC meeting are the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Chile, Canada, Mexico and Peru.

US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker told reporters in Bali on Sunday that delegates had reached agreement on several thorny issues in the proposed pact. The US hopes to secure a deal on the TPP by the end of the year.

In addition to the countries listed above, other APEC members include China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.

tj/hc (dpa, AFP, AP)

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