Vanuatu to Open Embassy in Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Apr 20, 2015

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, right, chats with Vanuatu's Foreign Minister
 Meltek Sato Kilman Livtunvanu, left, on the sidelines of the 60th Asian-African
Conference in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)

Jakarta. Vanuatu is preparing to open an embassy in Jakarta in a bid to enhance bilateral relations, the foreign affairs minister of the Pacific Island nation announced on Sunday.

“Vanuatu has a great diplomatic relationship with Indonesia. Therefore, Vanuatu hopes to have its embassy in Jakarta,” Minister Meltek Sato Kilman Livtunvanu said on Sunday, as cited by state-run news agency Antara.

“Indonesia and Vanuatu will also be able to experience stronger bilateral relations in the future and be able to discuss various global issues together,” Kilman added.

Vanuatu is among the 80-plus nations gathering in Indonesia for the Asian-African Conference, which is taking place in Jakarta and Bandung until Friday.

Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said on Sunday that the government welcomes Vanuatu’s plan.

“We are very excited and proud of Vanuatu’s decision to open its embassy in Jakarta. This means that almost all countries of the Pacific will have an embassy here,” Retno said.

She added that both countries are committed to discussing the technicalities of establishing resident embassies and opportunities for partnership in other sectors.

“We have talked about boosting partnerships in the economic, engineering and agricultural sectors where we already have very good cooperation with Vanuatu,” Retno said.

The minister also expressed her optimism about where relations are going between Indonesia and other Melanesian countries in the Pacific.

Melanesia extends from Fiji to the Arafura Sea and is commonly thought to include Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, West Papua and the Maluku islands. The latter two are part of Indonesia.

“Indonesia’s Melanesians are about to become larger than other groups of Melanesians. So, I tell you this: Indonesia is Melanesia and Melanesia is Indonesia,” Retno said, as cited by news portal CNNIndonesia.com.

In early April, the Indonesian government sent $2 million worth of aid to Vanuatu after a devastating cyclone hit the country and left 11 dead and thousands homeless.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, center, sends off the Indonesian aid

delegation to cyclone-hit Vanuatu. (Antara Foto/Rivan Awal Lingga)

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Indonesia Sends Aid to Cyclone-Hit Vanuatu