The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia moved July 4 celebrations forward a month in order to accommodate this year’s Muslim month of Ramadan, Fox News reports.
The State Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke told a Fox News reporter that the June 4 celebrations aren’t for the average American. “It’s not like a picnic you have with your family and friends when you’re back in the U.S. These are official events the purpose of which is to represent the United States to the host nation.”
Ambassador Robert Blake said that the June 4 gathering did not take away the significance of July 4 but rather increased it. The event was more significant because the “rights we celebrate are not America’s alone,” according to Blake.
The June 4 event focused on a “green economy.”
“Blake explained that the theme of the event leaned toward ‘green’ development, which supported the US’ focus on building and promoting a green economy and more environmentally sustainable development,” the Jakarta Post reports.