Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Poland began on 19 September 1955 until now. This shows that Indonesia and Poland have established bilateral relations for 67 years. Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Poland consist of various aspects, such as economic, cultural, educational, and development cooperation, which the cooperation have been running smoothly and have clear goals and targets to achieve common interests between countries. One aspect that is no less important to increase cooperation between the two countries by involving the international community in interacting with each other is the social and cultural aspects. Because this social and cultural aspect is one aspect of cooperation that involves the international community (people-to-people interaction) which can build interactions such as shared experiences and can be a strategy for a country to introduce its country’s identity to the international community. One of the people-to-people activities that have been carried out by Indonesia in Poland is the presence of local Indonesian coffee. The existence of Indonesian coffee can be demonstrated by the presence of an Indonesian coffee distributor in Poland, namely Podkawa.
Reporting from the Indonesia in Warsaw Instagram page which is an Instagram account managed by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Poland on February 13, 2022, there is the Warsaw Coffee Festival where the festival promotes Indonesian coffee by inviting the international community to enjoy the festival. The festival not only introduces Indonesian coffee, but the festival also introduces tourism in Bali to the international community who visit the festival. In this festival, it gives a different sensation to the community in enjoying Indonesian coffee, where festival visitors can enjoy coffee while listening to traditional Indonesian music and traditional Indonesian dances, namely gamelan, Gambyong dance, and Rantak (Detik.com #). So that this festival shows that introduces Indonesian identity, through the Indonesian coffee festival, it can also promote other aspects such as tourism, culture, and Indonesia’s natural wealth to visitors who attend the festival. And indirectly through this event can strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Poland. Due to it can create mutual understanding between the two countries, harmonization of the interaction of the people is important first. Due to the interaction, and harmonization of the international community, this can be a representation of a country that can be seen that the country has high tolerance, diverse culture, abundant natural wealth, beautiful tourism, and has a variety of uniqueness found in the country. It has been done by Indonesia through the festival to introduce Indonesia’s diversity from culture, natural wealth, and tourism. Through the presence of Indonesian Coffee in Poland, this can increase the cultural identity and natural wealth of Indonesia to the people of that country. Where Indonesian coffee is called by “the black gold” which was conveyed by the Deputy Mayor of Krakow, namely Anna Korfel-Jasinska (Liputan6.com, 2019, #) .
It shows that Indonesian coffee has succeeded in providing a different sensation and taste to the international community. According to a 2019 Business Intelligence report, 80% of adults in Poland consume coffee regularly, at least one cup a day. In addition, Poland is the 6th largest country in Europe which is the country with the most coffee consumption. This shows that coffee has become a leading Polish product that is often consumed by its people (Top West Sumatra, 2022, #). With the large consumption of coffee in Poland, this can be an opportunity for Indonesia to maximize coffee variants to be promoted in Poland, besides that Indonesia should be able to find various innovations to continue to improve the reputation of Indonesian coffee not only in Poland, but in various countries in the world. With this potential, Indonesia should be able to find various innovations to continue to improve the reputation of Indonesian coffee not only in Poland, but in various countries in the world. Because Indonesia is a country that has a variety of biodiversity that has abundant natural wealth. And Indonesia must maximize this potential to be introduced to the Indonesian people. through the strategy, it can achieve the mutual interests of the two countries, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries can run optimally if both countries already know the identity of each partner country, and vice versa, not only state actors, but if other actors the country has felt the good image of a country, this will be useful for a country to be seen as a good country, and the international community will also accept our existence when we are in that country. Therefore, social and cultural aspects are very important aspects to be maximized which can assist the role of the state in achieving the common interests of both countries by involving the international community. The success of the existence of Indonesian Coffee in Poland can be a reflection that in fact, Indonesia can also maximize other owned wealth, not only coffee but other natural resources which Indonesia is a tropical country rich in natural products.
To maximize Indonesia’s natural wealth, it is necessary to create new innovations to introduce these products. Both in terms of promotion, packaging, taste, and how to enjoy the product. In Warsaw Coffee Festival can be an example to create this innovation by drinking coffee while enjoying traditional Indonesian music or while enjoying Indonesian dance. Therefore, Indonesia can be seen as a country that is unique, creative, and friendly to the international community due to innovation and different efforts in serving Indonesian dishes. However, in doing so, it requires the involvement of various actors. Both state actors and non-state actors. Indonesian diaspora institutions abroad can collaborate with Indonesian communities abroad in promoting the advantages of social and cultural aspects of Indonesia. With the contributions from various parties, an activity can run optimally. Thus, mutual understanding among the international communities can be achieved which can have a positive impact on bilateral relations between the two countries.
