Last week on the 14th-16th of March 2023, Bali Governor Wayan Koster visited The United States at Millennium Challenge Corporation in New York & Washington D.C. The most memorable part about his visit this time is how the Governor Koster diplomatically used Arak Bali as a way to connect while having his mission to get Arak Bali the recognition it deserves. As the number 7 best spirit drink just behind Rum, Gin, Vodka, Tequila & Brandy, Arak Bali is severely underrated compared to how nice and affordable it is.
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Murdaning Jagat carried out the Arak Bali diplomacy after Governor Wayan Koster became a speaker at the World Bank Group on Transforming Transportation by presenting material on the philosophy of Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka for Resilience Transportation (Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient), which then continued with a long set of meeting with other international stakeholders. Such as Laconic Infrastructure Partners, World Resources Institute (WRI), World Bank/World Bank Group, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C.; and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York providing souvenirs like Arak Bali and Balinese Endek Woven Fabrics.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which is an institution belonging to the U.S. Congress, has the aim to strengthen cooperation/collaboration in funding assistant schemes related to climate change, as well as strengthening MSMEs, which all in line with traditional Balinese philosophy, Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali which is living in harmony with nature, taking care of the mother earth to be able to live a long and happy life in Bali.
As a form of admiration, MCC Chairman showed his gratitude to Governor Koster, who at that time also used traditional Balinese clothing, by introducing Arak as a traditional fermented drink or distilled alcohol with superior taste, that is not inferior to Soju & Sake from Korea & Japan, as well as the Whiskey from Europe.
Vice President of Compact Operations at the U.S. MCC, Cameron Alford; Deputy Vice President of Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Jonathan Brooks. Officer for Indonesia, Martha Bowen, and Managing Director of Portfolio Administration in the MCC, Amanda Jennings, in the presence of the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, stated that the Millennium Challenge Corporation strongly supports the existence of Arak Bali.
For this reason, MCC promises to help market Arak as a quality local Balinese product in the international market, with the hope of positively impacting MSMEs in the Province of Bali and increasing the welfare of Balinese Arak farmers and artisans.
The assistance provided by MCC to Arak Bali is the same policy previously applied to rum from Africa. At that time, MCC actively facilitated local rum products from Africa on the international market until they became a well-known chosen alcohol to the world.
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