The Jakarta Post, Retno LP Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Jakarta,March 11, 2020
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President Joko Widodo (right) accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo (second left)
and Dutch King Willem Alexander (second right) accompanied by Queen Maxima planting
trees during a state visit to Bogor Palace, West Java, Tuesday (10/3/2020). (Antara/
Sigid Kurniawan) |
“The
ongoing global economic and geopolitical volatility will not keep Indonesia and
the Netherlands from advancing their long-standing cooperation” — that may be
the right tone to begin the narrative on the state visit of King
Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to Indonesia.
On Tuesday,
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo greeted the Dutch king and queen at Bogor Palace
in West Java.
The visit
sends the clear message that the two countries aspire to advance their ties
going forward. It will surely create a new momentum for the Indonesian-Dutch
partnership. The visit also instils not only increased confidence of Dutch
investment in Indonesia but also strategic trust in the long run.
The visit
produces numerous concrete deliverables in various sectors at the
government-to-government as well as the business-to-business level. These
include eight government initiatives in important sectors such as sustainable
palm oil production, cooperation on infectious diseases control, waste
management, the circular economy, water management, aviation cooperation,
capacity-building of healthcare professionals, as well as women, peace and
security.
On the
business side, the king’s 190-strong business delegation has met with hundreds
of Indonesian business counterparts and concluded investment and business deals
amounting to US$1 billion. These include agreements on dairy products, oil and
gas, agriculture, infrastructure and renewable energy.
However,
these achievements did not come overnight. In fact, in the last seven decades,
both sides have taken significant steps to strengthen bilateral ties.
I was the
Indonesian ambassador in The Hague in 2013, when Indonesia and the Netherlands
signed a joint declaration on a comprehensive partnership that laid out the
modalities for concrete cooperation. This was an important building block to
mature our bilateral cooperation into what we have today and what we will
harvest tomorrow.
After more
than 70 years, it is undeniable that the bond between the two countries has had
its share of challenges. While we cannot deny the past of Indonesia-Netherlands
relations, we can choose to fully capitalize on the potential of future
cooperation for the benefit of both nations.
Therefore,
the goal for our shared future must be clear, which is pursuing a
forward-looking partnership that really benefits both countries and peoples.
There are
three things that the two countries should advance together to attain common
goals for a solid and mutually beneficial partnership.
First and
fundamentally, both countries must remain committed to the common values of
mutual respect and principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Second, the
Indonesian-Dutch partnership must produce long-term and concrete economic
benefits for our two peoples.
The
Netherlands is and should continue to be Indonesia’s strategic partner for
trade and investment. In 2019, the Netherlands was Indonesia’s largest investment
partner in the European region, the second-largest trading partner and the
fourth-largest tourism partner.
Our
political solidarity in furthering the common cause of sustainability is also
strong. In promoting sustainable palm oil in Europe, for instance, it is
evident that we can rely on the Netherlands as our friend. Last year, together
with my colleague, Sigrid Kaag, the Dutch minister for foreign trade and
cooperation development, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on joint
production of sustainable palm oil in New York, the United States. King
Willem-Alexander’s current visit has also brought an impetus toward the
progression of sustainable production of palm oil through the conclusion of a
technical arrangement that will focus on capacity-building for Indonesian
smallholder farmers.
This is a
good reflection of how trust is an important pillar of bilateral cooperation,
as also exemplified through the Netherlands’ support in the establishment of
the Indonesia-European Union Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade in 2016.
Third,
Indonesia and the Netherlands must continue to promote the universal common
values of multilateralism, diplomacy and democracy, promoting habits of
dialogue and peaceful dispute settlement to tackle shared global challenges
amid rising tensions, intolerance and unilateralism.
Peacekeeping
and counterterrorism are among our signature areas of collaboration on the
world stage.
Indonesia
and the Netherlands were among the core countries facilitating and supporting
the Untied Nations' secretary-general’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P)
initiative to rally member states and other crucial stakeholders to fulfil
their obligation in strengthening UN peacekeeping operations.
Both
nations also need to stand shoulder to shoulder in the global fight against
terrorism and violent extremism.
Deepening
the promotion of democracy, pluralism and tolerance are other important areas
of cooperation to further develop. The Bali Democracy Forum could become the
platform to jointly advance these shared values.
Women,
peace and security shall be another hallmark of our bilateral cooperation. The
partnership aspires to deepen the capacity of women to promote peace and
security, in line with the formation of the ASEAN Women Mediators Network and
the Afghanistan-Indonesia Women Network last March.
In
conclusion, another historical step was taken with the king of the Netherlands’
visit to Indonesia, in the very year when Indonesia celebrates its 75th year of
independence.
The history
binding our two countries together is not an easy one. This dark period should
not be repeated in the future.
King
Alexander stated that “today, we warmly congratulate the people of Indonesia as
you celebrate 75 years of independence. The past cannot be erased and will have
to be acknowledged by each generation in turn.” King Alexander also expressed
his regret and apologized for excessive violence on the part of the Dutch in
those years.
Let us
together build a better and stronger relationship, one that is based on mutual
respect and mutual interests.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not
reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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King Willem-Alexander and Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Photo: AP Photo/
Achmad Ibrahim, Pool |
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(Antara Photo/Sigid Kurniawan)
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