PALANGKA RAYA – PROTOCOL AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION BUREAU. The advanced team of Netherlands Kingdom visited Central Kalimantan on 21 until 22 January 2020 following the planned visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands H.E. King Willem Alexander and H.E. Queen Maxima  to Indonesia on March 11-13, 2020. While in Central Kalimantan, a survey team led by the Chief of Protocol of Royal Palace of the Netherlands held a meeting with Central Kalimantan Provincial Government and conducted a field survey.

Upon arrival at Tjilik Riwut Airport Palangka Raya, Tuesday (01/21/2020), the Chief of Protocol of Royal Palace of the Netherlands Simon Van Den Burg and the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Lambert Grijns along with the entourage were welcomed with Dayak Ngaju traditional ritual “Pantan Balanga” and greeted by Central Kalimantan Provincial Secretary, Regional Millitary Commander 102 / Panju Panjung, Regional Intelligence Agency of Central Kalimantan, Assistant III of Central Kalimantan Provincial Secretary, and Head of Sebangau National Park Office.

During the traditional ritual of Pantan Balanga, Dutch Ambassador Lambert Grijns said that the purpose and objective of the survey team’s arrival in Central Kalimantan was to identify several points of location that would be visited by the King and Queen of the Netherlands. During this visit, the team will also see the potentials of the program that might later be held in Central Kalimantan.

After the traditional ritual, the activity continued with checking the VIP Room at Tjilik Riwut Airport, before the group headed to Swiss Bellhotel Danum. The group continued the survey to Kaja Island around 2.30 p.m., accompanied by the Secretary of Central Kalimantan, Fahrizal Fitri and the Head of Culture and Tourism Office of Central Kalimantan Guntur Taladjan.

From Kaja Island under the supervision of Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), a delegation then reviewed BOSF Nyaru Menteng accompanied by Central Kalimantan Provincial Secretary and Mayor of Palangkaraya Fairid Naparin.

The next location to be reviewed was the Pilot Plantation Model managed by the Family Welfare Development Team of Central Kalimantan at Temanggung Tilung. On this occasion, the group took time to visit the Betang House on Jalan Temanggung Tilung 13 around the plantation area which will be used for the meeting of the King and Queen of the Netherlands with smallholders of oil palm plantation.

On this first day visit, the group also visited Tuah Pahoe Stadium, the pride of Central Kalimantan and Kalteng Putra Football Team.

Meanwhile, during the second day visit, Wednesday (01/22/2020), a delegation was scheduled to visit Sebangau National Park accompanied by some officials of Central Kalimantan Provincial Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and Presidential Security Team. (ran/feb/lia/translated by feb)