TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Diplomacy, by its nature, is basically an art and practice of a negotiation conducted between country representatives in the spirit of international relations or geopolitical gains.
One of the examples of international diplomacy was today’s Metallica Deluxe Box Set presented to President Jokowi from the Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
The following is a list of unique zoological gifts presented by country leaders.
1. Komodo Dragons for George H. W. Bush
In 1990, US President George H. W. Bush was presented with a Komodo dragon by the late Indonesian President Soeharto during his visit to Indonesia. Bush named the Komodo ‘Naga’ and was donated to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Naga successfully sired 32 offspring throughout his stay at the Cincinnati Zoo and managed to be the zoo’s star attraction that drew one million visits each year before it died in 2007.
Read: Danish Prime Minister Presents Jokowi with Metallica Deluxe Set
2. Putin Received A Puppy
During a meeting in Sochi, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a Central Asian Shepherd puppy in celebrating Putin’s 65th birthday.
The reason President Berdymukhamedov presented Putin with an ancient breed of puppy, which is known as the alabai, is because he considers the alabai as a common friend of Russia and Turkmenistan.
3. China’s Panda Diplomacy
China is known to appoint their cuddliest diplomats as an official state gift to other countries. This also includes the two giant pandas that arrived in Indonesia, Cai Tao, a 128kg male and the 113kg female Hu Chun.
Their arrival marked the increased cooperation between Indonesia and China on joint research and endangered species. Previously, Indonesia shared its expertise on breeding Sumatran tigers with China.
Ricky M. Nugraha
